Blood and Lust
by AwesomeSauce76
Summary: Edward is having trouble balancing his urges for Bella's blood and Bella's body before the wedding. What started out as a simple "Practice Fic" has become a retelling of BD from EPOV that lets us see just how much he struggles for control at every turn.
1. Everything's Biological

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Twilight or it's characters, Stephenie Meyer does. Although I wouldn't mind renting Edward for a while. **

**A/N: I wanted to explore Edward's apprehension about getting more physical with Bella and just how deadly & dangerous he can be. Some dark images here & there. The boy's got issues. And maybe along the way, I can do my best to throw some steamy goodness in the middle of all that!**

Prologue: Everything's Biological

Our wedding was fast approaching.

In some ways not fast enough for me, and in others it seemed like a dark cloud hanging over my head. I was very eager to make this amazing girl... no, woman... my wife. However, that didn't stop my apprehension about certain...activities that could not be delayed any longer once that momentous occasion had taken place.

Bella was the complete opposite. She couldn't care at all if the wedding never came, or was at least postponed for a few years. But she wanted all the spoils that marriage brought with it, and I was too old fashioned to let that happen without a firm and binding commitment.

So we made a compromise. She would agree to become my loving wife, and I would agree to at least _try_ to consummate our marriage bed.

If I didn't murder her in the process, of course.

Bella thinks it's almost cute when I try and explain my fears to her about losing my control in the heat of the moment. She has complete faith in me that I will never hurt her. While her faith in me is very endearing, I wish I could be as confident as she is. She thinks that I am only worried about harming her with my physical strength, which is usually our only obstacle these days since I have become more accustomed to her scent.

If only that were true.

It was true that I had learned to control myself around her on a daily basis. The familiarity of having her always close to me had greatly helped to reduce my urges; somewhat desensitized me to her so that we could carry on a fairly normal relationship. Well, as normal as a relationship could ever be between a human and a vampire.

But what my dear little Bella didn't realize was that, however dormant it may be, the violent bloodlust was still there, just waiting to come out. I had thought it was pretty well under wraps, myself. It had been months of constant exposure to her and her intoxicating scent, and I was barely phased by it anymore. Until we started taking things between us to another level.

I had kept things fairly chaste between us for the duration of our relationship. This brought no end of complaints from my lovely wife-to-be, who was rather hot-blooded, ironically, and getting crankier by the day as we continued with kisses and cuddles. She was under the delusion that I didn't want her, at least not as much as she wanted me. She thought that she no longer affected me physically once the desire for her blood had been subdued. I loved her, but sometimes the level of her absurdity amazed me.

I realize that I hadn't been completely open with her about the subject, and perhaps she would have less doubts if she knew the truth, but I couldn't stop trying to protect her from the ugliest sides of my nature. Not only did I want her, but I wanted her with a violent urgency that made most rapists seem sane and level headed.

Since the very first day I met Bella, I knew I would never be the same again. She knew that I had been overcome by her scent in Biology class. I had admitted as much to her to try and explain my craving for her blood back when I foolishly thought I could stop this love from growing between us. She knew that her sweet blood called out to me as no other had in my entire existence. She knew that I had done nothing but sit there and try to dream up different ways to lure her away and kill her. She knew all of that and still chose to stay with me. She had faith, she believed in me. She was positive that I would never hurt her. I knew that I didn't _want_ to kill her, but that I very well could. She accepted that and decided that even if I did lose control, it would be better than staying apart. She would rather die than stay away from me.

How the hell was I supposed to tell her the rest of it after an amazing declaration like that? This small, fragile human girl had brought me to my knees with a love I had not wanted or expected, but was addicted to just the same. I did not want to jeopardize that by explaining just how closely blood and lust went together for me. At least where she was concerned.

That first day in class, I was shocked for so many reasons when I smelled her scent. Yes, it had ignited a fiery need in me, a thirst that I had never known. But it had also awakened a part of me that I had assumed was long gone and forgotten, dead with the rest of my body. _Lust_. Not simple bloodlust, the craving of that delectable, vital fluid. I had experienced that in the past and learned to control it. This was Blood _and_ Lust. Oh I wanted her blood... but I wanted another delectable, vital fluid from her as well.

I can still remember that day so vividly.

When Bella had entered the classroom, I was curious about her. I had noticed in the cafeteria that I couldn't pick up on her thoughts yet, so I was determined to pry a little harder and see if I could crack whatever brick wall was in my way. As she walked closer to me, I studied her appearance and didn't see anything that I would have called noteworthy. She was fairly attractive, but just as many of the other girls at the school were. None of them ever did anything for me, either. I honestly didn't see what had all of the other boys at school in such a state, other than the fact that she was something new. I probably would not have taken any more notice of her at all if it hadn't been for the fact that I couldn't hear her thoughts. That intrigued me. And frustrated me.

I don't like to be frustrated.

So there I was, waiting patiently to dig around in her mind for a while, when the breeze carried her scent straight to me and changed my life forever. I felt like I had been punched in the face and the stomach at the same time. If I'd been human, the wind would have been knocked out of me as well. It felt as though a hot poker was searing my throat, my thirst was so instantaneous, but that fire started to spread throughout my entire body. Every inch of me was thrumming with electricity, from my fingertips to my toes. This was no normal bloodlust for me. I was not merely hungry. The electrical current continued to radiate along my limbs. My ears even felt hot.

I tried to stop breathing her in. I thought that if I cut off the scent I would be alright, but she was already coursing through my veins. Scorching, painful need. I felt pulled to her, like she was a gigantic magnet. That's when I noticed something else, something that had also begun to thrum with electricity. It was unfamiliar to me, I didn't immediately remember the sensation. I was getting aroused.

I hadn't wanted a woman physically in ninety years. I had imagined myself to be above those baser human needs. My family had all experienced physical love, they had all formed eternal relationships with others like themselves. It wasn't as if sex was physically impossible for a vampire, but I had never felt those urges. I had never met any woman, vampire or human, that even slightly interested me in that way. I had honestly thought that I just wasn't wired the same way as the others were. Even when I tried to think back to my murky memories as a human, I had been more concerned with becoming a soldier than I had ever been with finding a bedmate.

That's not to say that I had never been aroused as a human. I had muddy, blurry images of one or two girls that had lived in my old neighborhood in Chicago. One had been a few years older and very well-read; her intelligence and poise were very attractive to me. I vaguely remembered her being the closest thing to a "crush" that I had ever had. I remembered wanting so badly to kiss her, but she had been engaged to an older man before she was eighteen. When I would think of her and what kissing her might be like, I would have a very unexpected reaction, although nothing like what was happening to me now. I only could ever remember how ashamed I was with myself whenever that would happen. It was so disrespectful. She was a lady and deserved better than that.

It was not long after that when talk of war was on everyone's lips and all of my attention was stolen away from that lovely girl and my inappropriate responses to her. It had never been that much of a sacrifice. I couldn't even remember her name now.

Then my family got sick, which brought me to Carlisle. When I began noticing after my transformation that I never got those annoying morning wake up calls anymore, I just figured that my entire body was dead to any human needs. End of story.

Well, there I was, sitting in a classroom full of students, trying with every ounce of my strength to not grab this strange new girl and drag her off to rip her throat open at the same moment I buried myself inside her to the hilt. It was as if decades of latent seventeen year old boy lust had decided to gang up on me in a retrograde attack. Bella Swan had given me a painful thirst for her blood... and the first erection I'd experienced in ninety years.

The more I thought about it, the harder I got. The more violent the murder scene in my mind, the more I could feel the pulsing and throbbing in my manhood. Each time she shifted in her seat or flipped her hair, I was struck with another wave of molten lust. I felt my final grasp on sanity snap as I stood up and cleared the table off in one swoop of my arm, sending the microscope shattering to the floor and little jars of planaria flying across the room. I grabbed Bella and threw her on top of the desk in front of the entire class, her clothing ripped into shreds within seconds. My engorged shaft was sinking deep inside of her and pumping away roughly as I brought my mouth down on her throat. I could feel my teeth breaking the delicate skin of her neck the same way that my cock was penetrating her body.

Then came the blood. Sweet, glorious nectar. It was so hot, so delicious. It flowed as freely as the juices between her legs, covering me. I drank and drank with reckless abandon while I thrust even harder into her welcoming body. She moaned and whimpered and held me tightly, loving this glorious death I was giving her.

Harder, harder, faster. I drank and I thrust, her blood all over my face and hands, reveling in the kill. I reached a blood stained hand up and cupped her face, stopping to kiss her deeply, smearing her own blood on her lips and leaving a crimson hand print on her cheek. She kissed me back softly and looked deep into my eyes. I could see the life draining out of them as I got closer to my release. I felt an unfamiliar pressure building in my body, an urgency unlike anything I'd ever experienced. I returned to her throat, swallowing her last few precious drops as I slammed into her one final time, releasing my own fluids deep inside her still shaking body.

Just at that moment the bell rang, interrupting my hallucinations and private humiliation. I jumped up and ran to the restroom, trying to remember to walk slowly enough to not attract attention. If I could have vomited I would have. I was absolutely horrified at what I had just experienced, the grisly things that I had fantasized about. To make matters worse, I had been so aroused by these violent images that I had actually climaxed from nothing more than a fantasy. This was bad. This was a definite problem.

I avoided Bella like the plague for weeks after that. I thought I could force myself to forget my hunger for her. It didn't seem to help much, since every time I even thought about her and her scent my newly re-born erection sprang to life in record time. I could handle the humiliation of sporting wood like a fourteen year old boy every time I was near her, if only it wasn't accompanied by the disturbing and violent fantasies.

Blood. Always her blood. It went hand in hand with anything sexual I ever felt for her. If I felt hunger from smelling her blood, I got instantly aroused and wanted to literally fuck her to death. If I let my mind wander and try to dream up erotic scenarios of the two of us, I always ended up covered in her blood by the time I climaxed in my mind. This made any attempt at masturbation an unsettling event. I was already mortified that I was resorting to doing something so vulgar just to assuage my newfound lust, but to be unable to keep thoughts of Bella's death from entering my mind just at my moment of release made me feel absolutely disgusted with myself.

I worked so hard to make myself immune to her. Once I admitted to myself that I cared for her in more ways than I had expected, I knew it was time to try and cage the beast inside of me. I could not go on living if I hurt the girl I had come to love. I forced myself to be near her as much as possible, forced myself to become accustomed to her magnetic scent. It took me months, but at some point I realized that I wasn't needing to hold back as much. Her scent didn't cause me near as much physical pain and hunger as it had in the beginning.

That gave me hope that we just might be able to be together without coming to a violent end. I took her to my secret meadow, finally trusting myself enough to be near her without any witnesses. I tried to explain that there still may be danger in our being together, but she was so fascinated by me and this new emotion we had found together that she didn't care. Her love was big enough to give it a real try, regardless of the outcome. I knew at that moment that she was worth my pain. I would fight in any way possible to keep my urges at bay.

I couldn't believe that I actually kissed her that day. I hadn't even been planning on kissing her. Of course I wanted to, I had thought of covering her entire body with my kisses many times, but I had been too terrified of what I might do to her. Something overcame me that afternoon. I was almost giddy with my love for her and the fact that I was conquering my hunger. I could run with her on my back and have her scent soaked into my clothing, all without the slightest problem. Well, other than my constant arousal, of course. I never let my guard down with her, but I had been so successful that I wanted to push my limits. Perhaps if I could guard myself that well, a small kiss wouldn't be impossible.

When I pulled her into my arms, I intended nothing but a soft brushing of lips, just to see for once how she felt against me. The feel of her in my arms was amazing. She made me feel alive again. I was so busy patting myself on the back for my self-restraint that I forgot to worry about the lack of hers.

The moment our lips touched she ignited like a wild brush fire. She slammed her body against mine, all thoughts of her safety out the window. My hands instinctively went to her waist, pulling her closer still. I felt her hands grip my hair in bunches and roughly pull me deeper into her waiting mouth. My body felt like it had been electrocuted. My cock was rock hard in an instant and fighting against the fabric of my jeans. Just as I was instinctively about to reach down and cup her firm ass, pulling her hard against me so that I could grind into her and let her see what she had done to me, I heard her groan. Loudly. I don't think she even remembers doing it. That sound drove me wild. I was getting feverish. It heightened my senses even more, trying to take in every little detail about this amazing moment. That's when the scent hit me.

_Bella's_ lust.

I had thought it was difficult to deal with Bella's blood and _my_ lust. That was absolute child's play compared to Bella's own intoxicating arousal mixed with the scent of her boiling sweet blood. Not only did her blood sing out to me, begging me to drink it, but her body was weeping for me to claim her. In that one instant I could smell her pooling moisture. If I glanced down I could see her hard nipples poking against the fabric of her shirt. My erection nearly exploded at the heady sensations flowing through me. My hands were itching to rip her shirt off. My pulse was ringing in my ears. No... not my pulse. I didn't have a pulse. _Her_ pulse.

I looked down at the inviting column of her neck... I could see it there, just under the skin. Her glorious, luminous skin. There was a thick, blue vein pulsing and pounding, drumming out to me. It would only take the tiniest movement, just the smallest of kisses. I could feel the venom filling my mouth as Bella's pulse pounded louder in my ears. I realized that my cock was throbbing to the exact same beat.

This all occurred in a matter of seconds. When I realized where my thoughts were headed again, I froze solid and politely pushed Bella away from me. I didn't want to scare her. She was apologetic, worried about the discomfort she had caused me, when she had very nearly been ripped apart at the seams only seconds before. I really was stronger than I thought. I had no idea how I had managed to stop myself that time. If it were only the smell of Bella's arousal, I could possibly learn to handle that. It would definitely lead to many more long nights of rusty, awkward self loving, but I would learn to adapt. But the things that her arousal did to her blood!

I had no doubt in my mind that I had waited an eternity for this girl. Everything about her sang to me. The problem was convincing my body that she was not meant to be my last supper, but rather my first love. My eternal love. How would I keep from attacking her in a weak moment? This had been one small kiss. Well, I had been able to control it, but the thought of trying anything further was absolutely terrifying to me. I wanted her so badly. My body was still screaming for her. Even then, after realizing how close I'd been to biting her, I was still rock hard.

I had been haunted by the image of that delicate, dancing blue vein for weeks. Every time I wanted to kiss her more deeply, or hold her more closely, or respond to her in any more affirmative way, that beautiful blue vein would flash in my mind, reminding me that I could too easily lose control. I had overcome my basic thirst for Bella, but never my hunger.

She wanted to take things further. Every time we touched I could sense it. I wasn't giving her enough of what she wanted. She wanted all of me, and I only felt safe giving over a fraction of myself.

I didn't want Bella to see that side of me. Ever. I wanted to keep that beast locked away in a box in my mind, never to see the light of day. I thought I'd had it beaten, too. At least, to a manageable degree. I knew I would always want her madly, but I had hoped that keeping things tame between us from that point on would stop the madness and frenzy from taking over.

Bella was done with tame. She wanted sex. With me. A fact that still wreaked havoc on my nether regions whenever I imagined it. And to top it all off, she wanted to be with me forever. Literally. Bella wanted me to turn her into a vampire, so that she could always be by my side. Just the thought of having her with me forever made my chest swell with pride.

However, I did not like the idea of taking her life away from her. I had fought so hard to keep her _alive!_ I didn't want to condemn her to a life like mine. Bella did not see it as the ending of her life. She saw it as the beginning of our new life together. But she had one final request, one final human experience that she wanted to share with me.

I had underestimated how persuasive Bella could be when she wanted something.

So here we are... our wedding is fast approaching and the groom is getting cold feet about the wedding night. I am terrified of not only crushing her to death with brute force, but losing my control and killing her in the heat of the moment. You know, typical newlywed problems.

Perhaps Bella has a point... practice does make perfect.

**A/N: I have more chapters coming, and the dialogue will start soon. My goal is for this to become less dark and much steamier. Bear with me, folks! I just wanted to get this out there and see what everyone thought. I am very interested in any feedback, questions or reviews. **


	2. Purgatory

**A/N: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!!!! I'D STILL LIKE TO LOOK INTO AN EDWARD TIME SHARE, HOWEVER.**

Chapter 2. Purgatory

The nighttime brings an exquisite agony for me.

Somewhere between my own private Heaven and Hell, Bella's bedroom has come to represent Purgatory to me. Why would anyone happily choose Purgatory on a nightly basis? Surely these are not the actions of a sane man. _Whoever said you were sane? _Oh shut up.

And so it goes, night after night, alone with my condescending thoughts as I lay in Bella's bed and watch her sleep. This is what I long for all day, even though it terrifies me. I need to be near her. At first I studied her in secret; she was a fascinating lab rat. Then after I admitted to her that I watched her sleep at night, she never wanted me to leave. I was afraid that she would call me a pervert and kick me out, but once she got over her embarrassment of knowing that I'd heard her talk in her sleep, she seemed flattered. Flattered that the deadly vampire who craved her blood above all else had sneaked into her room repeatedly while she was unconscious. She was nothing if not unpredictable. I wonder if she would have felt quite so flattered if she had known that said vampire stood drooling over her every night with a raging erection. _Knowing Bella, it probably would have turned her on more._ Shut up.

"Edward..." a soft, longing sigh from the darkness beside me.

I knew she was still asleep from her pulse rate and steady breathing, but I leaned closer nonetheless. I could see that worried furrow in her brow starting to form as her heart rate began to increase.

"Shh... I'm here, love." not much more than a whisper would do for her. I reached out to softly stroke her hair. Almost instantly her features smoothed over and her pulse regulated. Bella was amazingly in tune to me when she slept. Any time I was more than a foot away from her in bed she would instinctively search for me with her body. A drifting hand, sometimes a foot. One time it was her entire leg, draped over me as if I were caught in a snare. After that I always tried to stay close enough for her to find, but not too close for my poor sanity's sake. _Once again, whoever said you were sane?_ Shut. Up.

These moments with Bella were so bittersweet. I couldn't get too close, couldn't go too far. We both wanted to be together every minute of every day, although it wasn't until we were alone in her room that we could just BE. No pretending to care about anyone else but us. She would fight off sleep for as long as possible to make those moments last, but eventually her weak human stamina would just give out. Although, even when she was unconscious she would need me close to her. I was happy to oblige; I felt the same way about her whenever she had to be alone with Charlie for family time. I would begrudgingly leave her for a few hours time, when the whole while I would be left feeling like an amputee. The longer we were apart, the more anxious we both were to get back together for the night in her room. Which lead to more intense kissing and cuddling sessions, which lead to my needing to distance myself again, and then more separation anxiety, and then more kissing... It was a vicious cycle.

I found that if we maintained just the right proximity to one another, the painful longing wasn't as bad for either of us, and that helped to keep us in the tame zone. It helped if some part of us were touching; an arm draped here, a hand brushing there. Many nights Bella would drift to sleep with her head on my chest. I loved it, her beguiling fragrance surrounding me as I lay beside her and watch her lovely face in slumber. How did I ever think she wasn't even noteworthy? _I once was blind, but now I see... _Yeah, yeah. Shut up.

_Pretty self-righteous, aren't we, Mr. Pervert? How many times will you need to stroke it later to make that monster in your pants go away, hmm?_ SHUT UP!!

I looked down to see the offending member in question, standing at attention as always. Some nights it wasn't too bad, I could relax enough that my body would give me a brief respite. Other nights, like tonight, no matter what I tried nothing worked. Tonight I had already counted over 3 million sheep, recited the Gettysburg Address, and even resorted to picturing truly horrifying images... like Emmett in a thong. All to no avail. I would get no rest until I took matters into my own hands, so to speak. The agonizing part was waiting for a time when I was alone, which was hard to come by these days since Bella and I had become so inseparable.

I don't know how Bella had kept from noticing it for so long. Either she was extremely bashful when it came to sneaking glances at that one specific part of my anatomy, or she had noticed it a long time ago and was politely ignoring it. Since I couldn't read her mind to know for certain, I'd bet my money on door number two. I don't want to sound too smug, but frankly, Bella likes checking me out too much to not have noticed by now. I should be embarrassed at the idea, and I was, but maybe she'd finally believe that I did want her just as much as she does me. Perhaps she'll begin to understand what kind of torture I endure for her. _Or perhaps she'll use it to her advantage. _No!

She was much too shy about that stuff right now. She certainly could pose a terrifying temptation though, if she saw fit to work her feminine wiles on me at a vulnerable time like this. I knew that she was curious, and wanted to explore things further, but she always looked to me for guidance on what was pushing the limits of safety. Since she had pleaded her case to try and get in more practice before our wedding night, we had inched a little bit further. Nowhere near what she would like, or what both of our bodies were screaming for, but at least it was something.

We had held each other closer, for much longer periods of time. Our kissing had deepened to the point of a near frenzy. Bella had been trying to get bolder when she touched me, but I made sure it stayed in fairly PG13 areas. I had been fighting going much further than that. I knew that I would have to try and desensitize myself in this way as well if we were to have any chance of success on our honeymoon. My rational mind knew that. I had to grow accustomed to smelling her arousal and fighting my urge to attack. If only her blood didn't boil so deliciously when she wanted me! If I was the perfect predator, then she was the perfect prey, absolutely irresistible in every way. She didn't know the battle I was still fighting for control.

Just then I was yanked from my thoughts by a whimper next to me in the dark. While I was too busy reflecting on our situation, Bella had rolled away from me towards the other side of the bed. She was starting to get restless, undoubtedly due to the distance between us. I didn't want her to lose any more sleep than she had already, so I eased myself closer behind her to bridge the gap. I lightly ran my cool hand over her shoulder, expecting that to help settle her nerves.

"Edward..." more breathlessly this time, her head thrashing on her pillow. Thinking that I must not be quite close enough yet, I slid my arm around her waist and snugged up behind her. I was loosely spooning her, but still trying to leave a little bit of room between us for modesty's sake. I'm sure Bella wouldn't have minded one bit, but my never flagging erection might prove a bit of a problem if I got too close.

I took a moment to savor her delicious aroma. She smelled absolutely amazing. I lost myself for an instant, nuzzling against her neck and earlobe. I could see a small bead of sweat trailing down her neck, and before I could stop myself I flicked at it with the tip of my tongue. I heard a loud moan echo throughout the room, and I felt a moment of fear when I realized that I couldn't be certain which one of us had made the noise.

"Oh... Edward, yes!" Bella hissed between her teeth, becoming much more agitated.

That's when I realized that Bella had not been having one of her troubling dreams. She had apparently been having a mildly erotic one starring me, and I had just kicked it into high gear with my thoughtless little lick. Before I could get my wits about me enough to get to a safer distance, her scent shifted into full blown lust.

I was paralyzed with need. Need for Bella. Amazingly, I wasn't thinking of her blood yet. Just Bella, and the painful pressure of my cock straining against the fabric of my pants.

As if on cue, Bella chose that moment to rub back against me. _Ohfuckohfuckohfuck _

"Mmm... oh yes!" she cried softly, still enthralled in her sexy dream that was fast becoming my nightmare.

"Bella... Bella, wake up." I whispered weakly against her ear. God, her scent was so strong, it was hypnotizing me. She heard my voice, but it wasn't enough to break through the dense fog of her lust filled dream. It only served to fuel her desires, and that only served to fuel mine. Vicious cycle.

Somewhere deep in my rational mind, I knew I needed to let go of her and pull away. But with her panting my name, smelling like hot fuck and rubbing her tight ass back against my cock... it was sort of hard to be rational at that moment. Instead, I pulled her closer into me and buried my face in her neck, breathing her in deeply until she filled my empty lungs. Electric fire. I groaned softly, knowing I was entering some deep, uncharted waters and praying that I could find my way back.

Bella molded herself against me, reaching back up behind her to grab and pull at my hair while her other hand closed over mine and placed it on her breast. _Holyfuckholyfuckholyfuck _I could feel her stiff nipple pressing into my palm. I involuntarily squeezed her breast softly, while at the same time thrusting against her.

The overload of sensations finally broke through Bella's consciousness. I felt her stiffen briefly against me while she got her bearings, and before I could form any words of apology she began grinding back against me in earnest. _Wecan'twecan'twecan'tOhChristthisfeelssofuckinggood _My cock was wedged tightly against her ass... thick, hard and pulsating.

It was as if we were both set on lust autopilot. It had taken over, and we were both powerless to do anything but feel. My head was swimming with the scent of her, my ears were tuned in to each little gasp she made. I felt drunk on Bella. She was writhing against me, every bit of delicious friction shooting through me like fireworks, making me thrust back into her with more abandon. I felt her fingers close tighter on my hair, pulling me towards her as she looked back over her shoulder at me. For one brief instant our eyes met in the darkness, brown pools of liquid fire igniting against golden flames, before she brought my mouth crashing down on top of hers.

I had never experienced anything like this in my very long life. I had a vast knowledge on just about anything you could think of, I had studied medicine and anatomy and reproduction, but when it came to practical application I was like a babe in the woods. I tried to imagine how it would look to an observer, two breathless figures struggling desperately to cram themselves together. It would probably look fairly ridiculous, all things considered, but I didn't care about how it looked right now. All I cared about was how it _felt. _It felt like the entire bed was going to go up in flames from the friction and electricity we were creating.

I slid my hand from her breast, trailing my cold fingertips down her abdomen, up over her hip, back to the inside of her thigh, gently pulling her leg up and back over my own hip. This gave me better access to what my body really wanted. I slid closer to her still, thrusting against her, bringing my now painfully hard erection between her legs from behind. I could feel the heat of her sex against me through the fabric. _Sofuckinghotsofuckinghotsofuckinghot _I couldn't believe how hot and moist she felt pressed against me there. I rocked into her firmly, wanting to weep from the agony of being so close and yet so far from what I really wanted. I wanted her with a fierce need that made me shake.

I moved against her more as I drew my mouth back to her neck. Her scent was burning through my veins now, scorching heat coursing through me. I could smell her getting wetter, adding more fuel to the fire in my body. The pounding in my ears was deafening as her pulse rate skyrocketed. I closed my eyes and breathed her in even more deeply, nuzzling a particularly delectable spot near her collarbone. As she moved back into me more enthusiastically, I felt the venom begin to pool in my mouth. I opened my eyes suddenly and realized with horror that the delicious spot on Bella's neck that I had zoned in on was my old friend... the beautiful vein. That beautiful, pulsing, dancing blue vein. _Blood. Sweet, hot, boiling blood. All over you. One little nip. Just a little closer. She's so hot right now... her blood is calling to you. Rip off those cumbersome shorts that she's wearing, bury your cock deep inside her and Bite. Right. Here._

I was off the bed in a split second with my head hanging out of the window, fighting for fresh air. I had to do something to clear my head immediately.

"Edward!" Bella cried from across the room, "please don't stop!" She sat up in the bed, staring at me in the darkness. I could see the desire in her eyes beginning to war with confusion. She made as if to stand up and come to me.

"Bella, I need you to stay there, please" I said as calmly as possible.

"What's wrong? Did I do something wrong?" It never ceased to amaze me how quick she was to doubt herself.

"Uh, no. Quite the opposite, I'm afraid." I could see that my cryptic answer was only confusing her sleep-deprived, lust addled mind. "You're doing everything _too well._ And I let you."

"So? Isn't that what we want? We agreed that we needed practice. This is what I had hoped for." She gestured to the now messy bed.

"Hoped for?!" I snapped, regretting my tone immediately. I saw her flinch in response. I took a deep breath and tried again. There was no way around it now. She would have to know, for her own safety. "I don't know if I can do this. Your scent is driving me mad, Bella, I very nearly killed you just now!"

"But you didn't, did you? Why do you insist on believing that you could ever hurt me? You have always stopped yourself before," she argued. I deliberated a few moments on how to respond in a way that might be understood.

"That's the problem, Bella. I have _always_ stopped myself. I had very definite boundaries established that were not to be crossed, and if I stuck to those, it became easier to handle being near you. Now you want me to erase those boundaries for you. I don't think you fathom what kind of restraint it takes to keep from doing the things I'd like to do to you. Any time I let my guard down for the tiniest bit, that hunger is back in full force. And feeling it in these circumstances just makes it worse." Her eyes widened at that, but I could see more questions coming.

"What do you mean by 'these circumstances'? How does it make it worse for you? I'm not arguing, Edward, honestly, I really want to understand." I could see the genuine concern on her face, but no fear.

I quickly explained what had been happening to me, trying to make her understand my shame at the uncontrollable lust I felt for her and how it was always accompanied by the hunger. Hoping she'd see how I wanted her more than anything in the world, but always at a fatal price.

"Really?" Bella interrupted, a hopeful look on her face.

"Really, what?" I couldn't imagine what in the world would make her look hopeful about anything I'd just told her. It was so frustrating not being able to just read her thoughts. God, I _hated_ being frustrated.

"I knew you wanted my blood, but you really want... more? I always worried that you were humoring me, that you could sort of... take it or leave it." She was looking down bashfully, and when she met my gaze again she seemed almost ashamed.

"What?!" I nearly yelled. I quickly thanked the heavens that Charlie slept like the dead. "Bella, are you certifiably insane? Just because I have respect for you and I try my best to treat you like the lady you are, it does not mean that I could ever willingly 'take it or leave it' as you so call it. If I could have my way, I would take... and take... and take... until there was nothing left of you to give." I could hear her pulse pumping harder at my words. "But because I am cursed to be this... this _monster,_ I am afraid that I will always have to leave it. I am terrified of what could happen if I lose control. Don't mistake an enormous amount of self-restraint on my part for indifference."

"Edward, I'm sorry. I haven't put myself in your shoes enough for this, have I? I'm always so worried about losing you, terrified that I'm going to do something wrong and make you realize that you've made a mistake. That you've settled on Plain Old Bella." She was looking down at the floor again, embarrassment clear on her face. "You're just so amazing and magical to me, I still can't fully wrap my brain around the fact that you want _me_ to belong to you," she ended on a whisper.

"Bella, pardon my French, but are you fucking blind?" She snapped her head up to meet my blazing golden stare, a look of surprise on her face. "I have repeatedly told you that I feel like _I_ am the lucky one to have found you. You accept me as I am and love me despite all of my flaws. I am a bloodthirsty, murderous monster, Bella. That should trump any insecurity you may feel." Seeing that she still looked skeptical, I added, " Bella, it's not a matter of you belonging to me. It's the simple fact that from the day I met you, _I have belonged to you!_ I am putty in your hands. I find you completely irresistible, otherwise I would not be here right now."

"But Edward-"

"But nothing!" I interrupted. "If I was physically able to keep any sensible distance from you at all, I wouldn't be standing in your bedroom at three in the morning, ogling you when you're half naked while at the same time, trying not to kill you! I'm doing everything in my power right now to keep from either biting you or fucking you senseless, and it's almost impossible to think straight with the nearly twenty-four hour hard-on you give me!"

I saw Bella's eyes dart to the blatant evidence in front of her only to quickly look away again, suddenly finding her wallpaper fascinating. A mouthwatering blush began creeping up from her neckline and settled in her cheeks, leaving them stained the most perfect shade of pink. My erection throbbed harder in response to the delicious sight. _I wonder what other body parts turn that shade of pink. _God, not now!

"Bella, you don't need to be embarrassed. I know you've had to have at least noticed by now. It's impossible to hide all the time. I am the one who should be embarrassed, even mentioning it in front of you." This brought her attention back to me.

"Embarrassed? You think I'm embarrassed?" she whispered.

"Aren't you?" Now it was my turn to look confused.

"No! I was trying not to stare! Boy, I have never been happier that you couldn't read my thoughts. I didn't want to make you more uncomfortable than you already are right now. You just told me how much my scent affects you when I'm aroused, and I knew that if I had looked any longer it could have possibly caused you even more... discomfort." She blushed again, sending more of that amazing pink to her cheeks, eliciting a small whimper from between my lips. "I thought I might have noticed something a time or two, but I was always scared that you would catch me looking. Plus, I was never positive that I had seen what I'd hoped. I mean, sure I've seen diagrams and things in health class, but I can't say that I've ever actually seen the real thing. The only porn I've ever seen are those horrible "Cinemax After Dark" shows."

"Did you say that you'd _hoped_ it was what you saw?" I couldn't keep the amazement from my voice.

"Oh come on, Edward! I'm an eighteen year old girl in the 21st century. I have a breathtakingly gorgeous boyfriend who I imagine naked on a regular basis, and since he hasn't been too keen on making it a reality for me, I'm left with fantasizing and trying to sneak quick glimpses when I can. I can't even..." she cut herself off abruptly.

"What?" I pushed, dying with curiosity now.

"I don't know if I should say." She darkened to a lovely shade of crimson. _This is killing me!_ My cock twitched in agreement.

"I'm sure I can handle it, Bella. I want you to feel free to talk to me about anything. I'm better now that I've calmed down a bit." _I'm still hard as a rock and on fire for you, but at least I won't tear open your throat._

"Well," she stammered, "I was going to say that I... I can't even fantasize about you properly anymore... since we are always together." _Did she mean what I think she meant?_ She saw the puzzled expression on my face and tried to clarify. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I can't stand being away from you now, but it does put a damper on any chance of... release. I can't exactly sneak off to the bathroom when you are ten feet away and can hear everything I'm doing! Do you see what I mean?" This girl was going to be the absolute death of me.

"Erm...yes, I think I can sympathize with you on that one." _If I got any harder right now I could cut glass. _Unthinking, I reached down and adjusted myself, trying to relieve some of the mounting pressure. I noticed then that her eyes were watching my every movement, and they were on fire. A moment later the musky scent of her need slapped me in the face. I realized then that not only had I not let go of my cock yet, but I had started squeezing it unconsciously. I started to move my hand away when Bella interrupted me.

"Don't stop," she commanded.

"Bella, what are you-?"

"Just hear me out, Edward." She took a deep breath, steadying her nerves. "I can't believe that I'm about to suggest this, but please listen. Wait until I've finished before you say no." She looked at me quickly to make sure I was still following her. "It seems to me as though we both have the same problem. We want to get closer, but you haven't worked up to it yet. I still say that frequent exposure is the only way you will build up any immunity to me, but it's hard for you to even go one step farther if we are too close right now, correct?"

"Yes, that sums it up nicely," I hissed through my teeth, her scent becoming more potent.

"Well, I have a suggestion. This may help you be near me, but not too close, and it will definitely help us both find a much needed release." Realization was slowly dawning on me. _Oh fuck. _

"Bella, I don't know if that's such a good idea," I said through clenched teeth.

"Think about it, Edward. It may honestly be our safest, most gradual way to move another step forward. You can sit over there by the window, as far away from me as possible, with all the fresh air you need to stay calm and an easy escape route should things get too bad for you. I'll sit over here on the bed. We can go as slow or as fast as you want." Did I mention that this girl could be persuasive?

"Bella... I've never... I mean, nobody's ever..." I choked down the anxiety in my voice. "I've never let anyone... see... that."

"And you think that I have?" she said incredulously.

"Well, no... of course not, but..." I was stalling. And terrified. And about to bust through my zipper.

"Edward, in a few more weeks we are going to be sharing a much bigger first with each other. Don't you think it's fitting that we start on some smaller ones first? I never thought I would have the courage to suggest this, but right now my need for you has surpassed any sense of modesty or embarrassment. Don't you see that we can make love to each other this way? Even if it's only with our eyes and our voices, it's so much more than we have allowed ourselves before."

"I honestly didn't think that women were supposed to be interested in viewing that kind of thing. It always seemed like a man's domain," I said breathlessly.

"Oh Edward, really! There are plenty of women who enjoy that! And I can't speak for all of them, but right now the thought of watching _you_... doing _that_..." Her voice trailed off as she got a hazy look in her eyes. I could swear her eyes were almost crossing. "Besides," she added, "if we can make this work, it won't always just be your hands on you. I want to see this so I'll know what to do." She hammered the final nail in my coffin with her next words. "Please, Edward? Teach me how to touch you." I took one look into her loving, pleading eyes and knew that I wasn't leaving this room with my sanity intact. _What's that about sanity?_ Oh, go to Hell.

Bella walked back to her bed and sat up against the headboard, facing me. I stumbled back towards the window, sitting down in the her small, uncomfortable chair. I was absolutely clueless how to proceed. Who started what? It couldn't be quite so crass as me just whipping it out and hammering away. While my body thought that sounded like a perfectly good idea right about now, my mind was telling me otherwise.

"Would you take off your shirt?" she asked quietly from across the room. I hesitated briefly, pleading at her with my eyes to somehow make me feel like less of a clueless fool. She instinctively knew exactly what I needed, even when I didn't. Slowly moving her hands to the bottom of her tank top, she cautiously pulled the material up over her head. As soon as the pale, beautiful orbs of her breasts started to appear, I stopped thinking about everything and started feeling. "There," she whispered, tossing the shirt to her side. "Your turn."

I saw that beautiful shade of pink had returned, and it ran all the way down to the hypnotizing peaks of her nipples. As I stared, motionless, I saw them begin to tighten and harden even more, jutting out from her milky skin, begging me to suckle them.

"So beautiful..." I whispered, imagining the taste of her rigid flesh there.

I took a deep breath to steady my nerves and quickly removed my shirt. I watched her eyes drink me in and I knew that if I were able to, I would be blushing myself right now. I could feel the cool night air dance across my skin, making me realize just how heightened all of my senses had become in anticipation. Considering that I already had elevated senses, I was surprised that I couldn't see through walls at this point. I tore my eyes away from Bella's magnificent breasts long enough to meet her gaze again.

"I don't... I don't really know what you want, Bella," I managed to squeak out, hoping she would take pity on me and give me a clue.

"I want to touch you, Edward. Everywhere. No boundaries. But since I can't do that yet, I want you to do it for me. Please let me watch you. Pretend that it's my hands if it helps."

"It's not the touching that scares me as much as the watching," I replied honestly. "It just seems... inappropriate for me to show you."

"Forever the gentleman," Bella teased. I could smell her perfectly well from across the room; there was no doubt in my mind that she was enjoying this scenario too much for her own good. "Maybe this will help you." She held her hands up in front of her, looking from them to me. "These are your hands, Edward. From this moment on they are yours. Feel with them."

Bella then took 'my' hands and softly cupped her breasts. I swear that I could feel her flesh burning under my own hands. She began squeezing more firmly after that, stopping to pinch and tug on her nipples. _Oh. My. God._ My fingertips were itching to replace hers.

As I continued drinking in the vision of Bella, I saw her hands lower themselves to the waistband of her miniscule boy shorts. She looked up to make sure that I was still watching( _as if I could turn away)_; then slowly began to slide them down towards her ankles. I followed the fabric's journey, lower and lower, until they were discarded next to her shirt. Bella now lay before me completely nude, completely vulnerable, and completely in control of me at the moment. She arched her back slightly, making her perfect breasts stand up at attention. She trailed one of 'my' hands across them briefly, down her flat stomach, circling her navel deliberately.

Her thighs were slowly parting when I felt a gripping pressure in my cock. I tried to ignore it just a little bit longer, just until I could see what Bella was unveiling for me. _Just a touch wider, love. Let me see your darkest secrets. _Finally, a dark, tightly cropped patch of hair became visible there between her thighs. _OhGodOhGod_ I needed to see this. I felt like my entire life had been nothing up until this moment, and everything depended on me seeing what Bella was about to display. Just as I was about to ask her if there was some way to see more of her, she leaned back farther, using her other hand for support as 'my' hand slipped lower, sliding inside of her, spreading herself open for me to see. It was dark in her room, but there was no mistaking that I was looking at the most glorious, beautiful, and erotic thing I had ever seen in my very long life.

Bella's pussy. Bella's hot, sweet, _wet_ pussy.

I groaned loudly, completely enthralled with what I was watching. She was making expert work of things, slipping her fingers in and out of her moist folds, sliding them up and down, making everything slick with her juices. I felt the same squeezing, gripping pressure on my cock that I had a moment earlier, and that's when I realized that Bella had been watching _me_ the entire time I'd been watching _her_.

I looked down quickly to find my right hand gripping and rubbing myself through my jeans. I needed more... everything. More contact, more pressure, more more more. Without taking my eyes away from Bella's hypnotic show, I made quick work of my zipper and finally drew my now painfully aroused, rock hard cock into my palm.

"Oh my God!"she gasped. I looked up at her with a question in my eyes to find that her gaze had never strayed from my now freed erection. "Are they always so... _big?_" She moaned the word big, as if she couldn't wrap her mouth around it. _Fuck, don't start thinking about her mouth wrapped around your cock! _

"Well, I'd say that I'm larger than average, Bella, but nothing to be shocked at." I gritted through clenched teeth. I was trying to keep my wits about me while a gorgeous, nude, aroused woman lay before me, touching herself while she marveled at my hard cock. I hadn't even gotten started yet and I knew it was almost over.

"But it's so _thick_, too!" she purred. _Fuck!_ I couldn't help feeling a quick jolt of pride that she was happy with what she saw, but I needed to do something with it, fast. Bella was thinking the same thing when I saw her hand start going back to work, massaging and stroking her swollen clit. Her pulse was beating out of control now. "Oh fuck! Edward, would you please stroke your fucking cock already? I want to see you... I want to watch you ."

Before I could think any further, my hand gripped my cock firmly and began to stroke; slowly at first, then with more pressure and speed. Bella watched as I ran my thumb around the tip, spreading the first drops of moisture. I began pumping harder, this felt more amazing than any other time I had attempted it on my own. It truly was as if Bella was doing this to me.

I locked my gaze on Bella's gorgeous, dripping wet cunt. Even that word I normally found so vulgar sounded sexy as hell to me when I was this hot. Cunt. Dripping wet, tight, hot _cunt._ _Oh yeah._ I watched her fingers slipping further inside herself now, mimicking what she longed for with my own body.

I watched and watched and she did the same. I could tell from her scent and the sound of her pulse that she was climbing higher and higher, towards the edge of explosion. _Oh God... I'm going to see Bella come. Something I have fantasized about since the moment I met her. _I gripped harder, so excited by the idea. Stroking, pulling, pumping. I watched her drenched fingers play while I thrust up into my own fist, imagining that I was fucking her tight, wet cunt. _Yessssssss...._

"Oh... oh God... oh Edward!" she cried out, as softly as she could, shaking violently and convulsing around her hand. I saw the flowing juices coating her fingertips and smelled her orgasm. Bella's orgasm... for me... with me. _Oh holy fuck!_ I started shaking, knowing I was close. I could feel that exquisite pressure building up inside me.

Then it all hit me at once. The potent smell of Bella's lust, her orgasm, her boiling blood... all mixing together with my heightened senses and impending eruption. The venom started pooling in my mouth. I stared between her thighs, even in the dark I could see the thick femoral artery pulsing... dancing... singing to me. I started imagining plunging my head between her her legs, licking up all of her juices hungrily, seeking out that siren call of her hot, sweet blood. I thrust into my hand faster, gripped harder, Bella watching enthusiastically. She had not stopped touching herself, desperate to see me explode for her.

_Here it comes... fuck!... yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes!_ Pumping harder, faster. I can hear Bella starting to climax again, she is so excited by what she is watching. If she only knew what was in my mind.

_Licking, sucking, fuck her with your tongue, every drop, devour all of her lust, there it is! Pulsing sweetly, calling to you. Slide your fingers inside her, fuck her with them, harder, harder, work her into a frenzy, make that glorious blood boil! Now now now now now, BITE!! _

I only remembered crying out "I love you, Bella!" before sinking my teeth into skin and biting hard, my body convulsing and pumping hot fluid all over my bare chest.

"Edward? Are you alright?" a frightened voice was whispering to me. Bella?

When I came to a few minutes later, she was standing over me, holding out a towel with a look of concern on her face. I went to take the towel from her so that I could clean up, which is when I noticed that my hand felt like it was on fire. It was excruciating. I turned my hand over and saw the slowly healing wounds, knowing it would leave a scar.

_Damn. _

**A/N: I am very anxious to hear any thoughts, questions or reviews. What do you guys think so far? This is just the beginning of all their steamy goodness. Any suggestions? **


	3. Exquisite Torture

**A/N I still don't own anything to do with Twilight. All characters are still property of Stephenie Meyer. I just wish she would share Edward!**

Chapter 3 – Exquisite Torture

As I ran through the forest a few hours later on the way back to my house, I could not keep the images from the night before from flooding my thoughts.

Bella. Sprawled across her bed, completely nude, writhing in ecstasy while moaning my name.

Bella. The scent of her boiling blood, her excruciating arousal, her explosive climax.

Bella. Demanding as much participation from me as she was willing to give.

_Bella. Bella. Bella._

I could not shake the forbidden sights from my mind. This was way more visual stimulation than I had even had the chance to fantasize about before now. Never in my wildest imaginations could I have dreamed up a Bella so responsive, so creative, so enthusiastic. I could already feel a familiar twitching in my loins at the memory.

_Ugh, not now! Down boy! I just finally got rid of you!_

It was no use. Trying NOT to think about her just made me think about her more.

_Bella's beautiful and delicious looking pussy, spread wide for me to adore. Her fingers, slipping... sliding... playing a rhythm in sync with her blood. Each stroke across her swollen folds calling me closer... closer..._

Dammit. This was going to be hard. Erm... difficult. I had never had so much trouble concentrating in my entire life. Well, I was concentrating, but on images that were highly inappropriate this early in the morning. I had just been so happy to finally have a brief pardon from the ongoing need, yet here I was, already standing at full attention. There was no end to the cycle. I wanted so badly to slake my lust for Bella, yet anything I managed to do with her only made me want to do more. After last night, I didn't think there would ever be a pardon again. To put it bluntly, my spank bank had runneth over.

I kept scolding myself for taking even the slightest pleasure in these memories. I had nearly lost control. Again. I had never experienced such a driving need to sink my teeth into something. My release had not even felt complete until I had bitten something, even if it was my own hand. Just feeling my teeth break the barrier of my skin had driven me over the edge into absolute ecstasy, never mind the resulting sting of venom.

It had helped, though. As disturbing as the need to bite was to me, it had simply helped to bite _anything._ Perhaps I truly could find a way to work this out. I would have to explore this idea further. I had promised Bella that I would try for her. I owed it to her to try my hardest.

As I walked into the clearing around the back of the house, intending to jump up to my bedroom window, I realized just how preoccupied I had been with my memories when I was interrupted by an intruding thought in my mind.

_Edward._

I stopped abruptly, finally paying attention to my surroundings. I found the source of the voice standing off to the other side of the clearing, almost hiding. One look at her face and I knew that I should have seen this coming.

"Hello, Alice." Somehow I managed to avoid sounding guilty, but I knew that it wouldn't matter.

_Come here!_ She motioned quickly with her hands, beckoning me to her.

"Alice, what are you-?" She cut me off by holding her finger to her lips in a definite shush motion. Did she really just shush me?

_I don't want the others to hear us. _

I nodded, showing her that I understood she wanted to use our own little secret language we had developed. She could show me pictures in her mind and I could nod yes or no to different questions she thought. It sometimes drove the rest of our family crazy, never being able to tell what we were talking about.

As I got within a few feet of her she quickly reached out, pulling my hand up towards her face, leaning over to inspect it closer, turning it over and back again. She gently reached out a finger and traced the thin silver crescent scar that had settled on the pad of skin beneath my thumb, extending around to the opposite side. I was thankful that it was so minor a scar, almost unnoticeable to even the most watchful eye.

_Are you alright? _

I made a face as if to say 'of course, stupid' and waved it off with my other hand to show that it was of little significance.

_No, Edward. I know you've healed and it was minimal. I'm asking you honestly... are YOU alright?_

I must have given her a puzzled expression, because the next thing I knew I was assailed with visions of my late night tryst with Bella. When I shot her a death glare, mouthing the words 'that's private!' she altered the visions, narrowing them down to just my face. It was always disconcerting to see myself from an outsider's viewpoint, like watching a video of yourself that you didn't know was being filmed. In these visions, my face looked absolutely feral. At one point when my eyes opened they were completely black as onyx. My features were locked in a mangled mixture of lust and starvation. As I watched myself raising my hand to my mouth the vision slowly began to clear.

_I wasn't trying to spy or snoop, Edward, I swear. The two of you faced a few major turning points last night, which happened to affect both of your futures numerous times. I didn't want to see any of that, believe me! Every time I thought I had successfully blocked you two out to leave you to your privacy, you would teeter again from one side to the other. I've never seen anyone walk such a fine line between sex and murder before. Is that what it's like with a human? _

I nodded solemnly, disgusted with myself all over again for my lack of control.

_I'm asking you again, Edward. Are you alright? I know that had to be unbelievably hard for you to do for her. I also know how much you like to blame yourself for everything. I wanted to make sure you were handling this okay. _

I shrugged, not exactly sure how I felt anymore.

_For what it's worth, I'm proud of you. I don't know that I would have been that strong in your place. I know now more than ever that you are the right man for Bella, Edward. You are strong enough to do this._

"I nearly killed her, Alice!" I hissed through my teeth.

_I know. Believe me. I saw her die about four different ways last night. All of them brutal. But before I had the chance to panic and do something about it, you reined yourself in and changed your course. _

"Is that supposed to comfort me?" I whispered incredulously.

_Yes, actually. Every vision lasted no longer than a few seconds before you snapped back to a safer direction. Whether you believe it or not, your control is getting stronger over your urges. _

"What am I supposed to do now, then?" I was embarrassed to be talking to her about this, but there were times that I could talk to her about things that I would never imagine telling anyone else. Our gifts kept us very close, always knowing what was in the other's mind.

_Keep practicing. I think you two are on the right track. It may even be time to let yourself get closer. You'll have to eventually, you know. Just keep your guard up. I know it will be very difficult, but I think it will be possible. With you, at least. Nobody else I know could do it, but your love just won't let you kill her. _

I began walking away, grateful that this awkward conversation hadn't gotten as embarrassing as it could have.

_Oh, and Edward? _

I stopped, looking back at her expectantly.

_For a first encounter, that was, uh... pretty fucking hot!_

"Alice!" I yelped, knowing that the look of mortification on my face couldn't come close to how I felt.

_What? I told you I couldn't help but see some things. In fact..._ A wicked smile crept on her lips. _Jasper may thank you later, so be prepared. _

She started staring off into space with a dreamy expression on her face. Suddenly, a whole new set of visions began filling my mind. I slapped my hands over my eyes as if I could stop them from coming and turned back towards the house, yelling back at her as I ran away.

"Alice, stop! Ewww! Some things can't be unseen!!" As I jumped up into my bedroom window I heard her giggle sheepishly.

"Oops, sorry! That was unintentional!"

I stomped off to my shower, wondering to myself if there was some way to scrub that image from my brain.

…..................................................................................................................................................................

Later that night I was back with Bella. I had taken her out to dinner and a movie, more at Charlie's prodding than any desire of our own. For some reason he found it strange that we never wanted to get out and act like the young kids we were, rather than stay cooped up in his stuffy old house every night.

"Dad, you act like you can't wait to get rid of me. I won't be living here for much longer, I thought you'd like having me around," Bella said to Charlie on our way out the door.

"I do like having you here, Bells, you know that. I just think that two young kids about to get hitched any day should actually want to get out and have a date once in a while. You've always grown up so fast, it seems like you're skipping a fun part of the couple process. You two never really have dated, you know. From day one you acted like an old married couple, sitting at home watching TV every night. I don't know why I was so surprised when you made it official."

"But Dad-"

"Your father's right, Bella," I interrupted. "I've been remiss in taking you out on the town and showing you off. Besides, I'm sure he could use a night to himself once in a while. Thanks, Chief Swan, we wont be out too late" I said, in the most ass-kissingly way I could manage. I grabbed Bella by the arm and escorted her to my car.

"What was that all about, Edward?" she asked as soon as the door closed behind me.

"Well, for one thing, he does have a point. I've never been one for going out in public much, but it is another important rite of passage that I don't think you should be deprived of."

"But Edward, I don't care about that stuff either. I never have. I feel like time out in public is time wasted, when I could be alone with you." A look came over her face suddenly and once again I was aggravated to not be able to read her mind.

"What's wrong? I can tell you're thinking something."

"Well... is that what tonight is about? To _avoid_ spending more time alone with me? I thought that you enjoyed yourself last night." She looked me in the eye across the front seat of the car, a bright pink staining her cheeks. "I know I certainly did."

And just like that, instant erection.

I cleared my throat quickly before responding, "Uh, no, that is _not_ what tonight is about. You know very well just how much I... _enjoyed_ last night. The other reason for tonight is to really give Charlie a break. As much as he hates the thought of losing you and wants to keep you close, sometimes it's too hard for him to watch us together. He's scared for you, worried we're making a mistake. It's not like he approves of this wedding we're planning, he's accepting it. There's a difference."

Bella thought on that for a while as I drove towards Port Angeles. After a few minutes of silence she exhaled deeply and smiled at me.

"Okay. I guess that makes sense. I never really thought about it from his side like that before. Thank you for being so considerate, Edward. I know going out in public is always awkward for you."

"Oh, come now, Bella, I've had decades of practice. I just prefer to keep to myself. The only thing about this that is new territory for me is going out with you. I've never been part of a couple before." She smiled in the darkness, reaching over to hold my frozen hand in her warm one. I swear that my cold heart warmed at the touch. If she only knew how precious this was to me. It was like getting a second chance at my lost youth, and getting to experience it with Bella only made it better.

Although, experiencing it with Bella also made a certain part of my body act like a perpetually horny seventeen year old boy. I was still as hard as a rock by the time we reached the restaurant.

After Bella ate and I pushed some food around on my plate, we headed over to the movie theater to catch a show. Bella didn't care what we saw, so I got us two tickets for the only real 'date movie' that was showing, some witless comedy starring Sandra Bullock. As we entered the theater, Bella took me by the hand and lead me to the back row. I regarded all of the empty seats we were passing along the way. We sidled over to the middle of the row, grabbing two seats that were connected and could allow us to raise the armrest up from between us.

"I didn't know you liked to sit so far back, Bella. See, that's a couple thing that I should have known by now," I whispered as the lights came down.

She leaned against me and whispered back in my ear, "No, silly. A 'couple thing' that you should have known by now is that couples choose to sit as far back as possible together so they won't be seen if they decide to do things like this." With that she edged closer and I felt the moist tip of her tongue flick against my earlobe.

Pure electricity, straight to my cock.

"Bella! What are you doing?" I jerked up straighter in my seat.

"Shh....Edward, people will start looking at us. We don't want that." She reached up and traced her fingertip along the outer shell of my ear, trailing it further down my neck, stopping at my collar bone. She leaned close to me again, her hot breath brushing against my neck as she added, "Otherwise, we might be robbed of yet another very important dating rite of passage."

The wet tip of her tongue followed the path that her fingertip had just taken. I could swear I was feeling lightheaded. Her teeth closed over my earlobe, biting gently before sucking it in between her scorching hot lips.

She was _biting_ me? And _suckling_?

_Did I say I felt lightheaded? I think I'm about to faint. Every ounce of my energy is pooling in my cock._

As if in response, it began throbbing harder. At my sharp intake of breath, Bella stopped to look up at me.

"Is something wrong, Edward?" she whispered. I resolved to stick this out and let her explore me a little further.

"I... I guess I just never realized my ears were so sensitive. It's not unpleasant. Please continue."

_That's a fucking understatement and a half! Not unpleasant?! Please continue? How about never fucking stop! _Shut up, not now!

Bella set back to work in earnest, nibbling along the entire rim of my ear while stroking her hand slowly up and down the inner side of my forearm. Amazing wouldn't begin to describe the feeling. She suddenly bit down harder than her delicate little teeth had done before and I had to choke back a very animalistic grunt.

"Bella..." I gasped, "bite harder. As hard as you can handle." She didn't miss a beat, thrilling to the sound of my excitement. As she bit down on my earlobe harder, her pulse quickened, setting the pace for the throbbing in my cock. She pulled away slightly to adjust her angle.

"Edward,"_God her voice sounds so erotic whispering my name in my ear_, "you taste so good. I can't get enough of you." With that she moved down to my neck, swirling and flicking her tongue around more sensitive spots than I knew I had. I felt the tip of her tongue circle a few places before settling on one favorite area. Next I knew, she had opened her mouth wide and clamped her teeth down as hard as possible for her on my marble-like flesh.

If my cock could have jumped out of its own skin it would have.

While I was being distracted by her mouth on my neck, Bella slowly slid her hand down to my upper thigh and squeezed.

"Bella?" I barely squeaked. I could smell her arousal getting stronger and her blood was beginning to pound. Her hand started climbing higher on my thigh, slowly moving inwards. Before I could even think about uttering another word, I felt something that I had been dying to feel since the moment I had met her.

Bella's hand... holding my rock hard cock.

There was fabric in the way, of course, but that was the last thing on my mind. She was touching me. _There_. Touching _it._ Her hand began slowly and tentatively rubbing against the now prominent bulge in my trousers. I sat completely still, needing to stop her and making myself delay the inevitable. If felt like the most exquisite torture I had ever experienced. Well... for today at least. Everything with Bella was becoming exquisite torture.

When I felt her hand slide up to my zipper, I found my senses enough to stop her.

"Bella..." I somehow found the strength to gasp, "that feels amazing... but we can't do this here." _Fucking pussy._ Oh go to Hell.

"Why?" She moaned breathlessly against my neck. "Nobody can see us."

"I know, love, but this is major new ground for me. I don't think it's safe to do any more with an audience present. I would be nervous about that even if we did this all the time, but since it's our first time I think it would be safer alone." I looked at her in the darkness, enthralled with the sleepy, almost drunken expression on her face. Her eyes were completely dilated with lust and I could smell her arousal climbing by the second.

"Edward," her voice now deeply husky, "if you aren't objecting to the actions, but only the location... may I request that we get the fuck out of here right now?"

"Absolutely." We both stood up quickly and nearly ran to the exit, heading straight for my Volvo. I almost left skid marks from pulling away from the curb so quickly and found it rather humorous that Bella didn't seem to mind my fast driving right now.

As soon as we were on the road, Bella was right back at my side, biting and licking and sucking my neck. My eyes nearly crossed when her hand returned to my inner thigh, squeezing and stroking along the muscles, slowly working her way upwards.

_Pull the fuck over, you moron! You're surrounded by woods! Nobody knows their way around them like you do! _

For once, I couldn't find any reason to disagree. I quickly scanned the side roads, and by the time Bella's hand was cupping my erection again I pulled off the main road and headed further into the forest. When I felt we had reached a safe enough distance from the highway I steered into a clearing in the trees.

As soon as the car was turned off, I turned to Bella and frantically pulled her into my arms. Always trying to be gentle, yet needing her so badly. I brought my mouth crashing down onto hers, devouring her breath, swallowing her moans.

"Edward!"she gasped, catching her breath. "Let's move to the back." Before I had even registered what she had said, she was crawling over the center console and making herself comfortable in the roomier back seat. Just looking at her there, eyes wide with expectation, smiling at me... would be enough to make a weaker man weep with joy.

I quickly joined her and we resumed our activities. Kissing, fondling, breathing heavily. She unbuttoned my shirt and planted kisses all over my bare chest. I returned the favor happily to her beautiful breasts. Her hand went back to my zipper and I let her this time. I felt the metal links slowly giving way, relieving quite a bit of pressure on my strangled erection. I leaned back a bit against the seat and prepared to steel myself against what was about to happen. Being in such close quarters with the most luscious smelling woman on the planet was making me feel more than a little dizzy and hungry. I closed my eyes for a moment, hoping to ground myself more completely.

First I felt the cool air on my bare skin. Then I felt her satiny fingers close around me. My eyes shot open and took in the amazing sight of Bella finally holding my cock in her tiny palm.

"Oh my..." she moaned. "It's just so... so... thick and hard. It's so... perfect... and beautiful." She couldn't take her eyes off of it, and I couldn't take my eyes off of her.

"Well, you're certainly good for my ego," I tried to tease, but it barely came out in a whisper. She studied me for a while longer, running her fingertips along my length, tracing every visible vein. Just as I was beginning to work on counting sheep again to distract myself from the agonizing pleasure that her playfully teasing touches were giving me, I heard a soft giggle.

"What's so funny?" I asked quickly, never more angry at my lack of insight into her mind.

"Oh, nothing," she managed to squeak out through another giggle.

"Uh, Bella, this is a really bad time to be making me worry about your thoughts. I'm feeling a little self-conscious here."

"Oh, it's so silly, really. I just had the most random thought pop into my mind right now, and once I had it in my mind I couldn't shake the image." Her face was turning a deep crimson.

"Well, now I have to know what it is. Anything that is making you giggle and blush like that is a definite must know for me." I tried to meet her eyes to press my point, but by then she had already returned her gaze to my swollen cock.

"Um... well..." Her eyes never left my erection, as if she were hypnotized. I knew if I looked down at the sight of her fingers making light swirling patterns on my most sensitive part I would be hypnotized as well. "I just found myself wondering if... _this_..." she squeezed my shaft a bit for emphasis, making me shudder, "well... What I mean to say is, if it were broad daylight right now and we were outside laying on the grass, would this... sparkle too? I know, it's a ridiculous question!" She bit her lip, turning an even deeper shade of red.

"Yes." I stated simply.

"Really?!" She met my gaze again, astonishment in her eyes. "How do you know?"

"Bella, I've lived a long life. I've had many chances to travel to nice, private locations where I can let my guard down and relax. I rather enjoy swimming in warm ocean waters and sunning myself on the rocks. The warm sun feels magnificent." As I finished answering her, I noticed that her eyes started to almost glaze over. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" She snapped back to attention.

"Does that bother you, knowing that I sparkle all over?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. My goodness, No! It's just that... well, Edward, that is one hell of a visual to give a girl. I was just struck with this image of you rising out of the surf, water cascading down your beautiful, sparkling body. Absolutely stunning. You might as well have been riding on a giant shell like Aphrodite... my own personal god of love." I knew that it would be my turn to blush now if I were human.

"Bella, really...I'm not _that-_" She raised a finger to my mouth to shush me.

"Edward, yes... you are. Just make sure that you invite me along the next time you feel like going somewhere more _private_." She leaned forward and kissed me softly, deepening the kiss as she started to grip my erection harder. She broke away to catch her breath. "Edward? Am I doing this right?" She chose that moment to move her fist upward in a definite pumping motion.

_Ohfuckohfuckohfuckohfuckohfuck!!! _

"God, yes..." I somehow managed to hiss between my teeth before bucking my hips involuntarily. Emboldened by my reaction, Bella started stroking my cock more surely. Harder... faster... sliding her hand up and down my shaft, eliciting several loud moans from me. I couldn't resist thrusting upward into her talented hand. _Sogoodsogoodsofuckinggood _Watching her hand gripping me, pulling me. Every stroke felt as though I were tensing up, as if I were a guitar string that had been wound so tightly that it would snap at any moment.

Somewhere over the roar in my ears of Bella's pounding heart, I could hear rustling beside me quickly followed by a deep moan. This one was from Bella for a change, rather than me. If that hadn't been enough to break my trance, the full assault of Bella's arousal suddenly slapping me in the face would have. I looked over and was shocked to find that somehow she had managed to slide up onto her knees beside me, one hand still pumping away expertly on my engorged cock while the other hand had slipped behind the waistband of her unbuttoned jeans. Her gaze was still locked on my thrusting body as she deftly stroked herself right next to me. _Oh fuck._

"Bella," I whispered, breaking her concentration. "May I help you?" _Always the polite boy scout, aren't we? Why don't you just say that you are dying to finger her tight wet cunt?_

"How?" she cried back almost desperately, looking down at our awkward positioning. "I don't want to stop touching you yet!"

"Why don't you pull your jeans down a little further..." Both of us were panting now. "Give me some room to touch you at the same time."

"Oh, God... Edward, are you sure? I didn't think you were ready to touch me like that yet. I wasn't going to ask for anything for me tonight, but I just couldn't handle seeing you move like that... feeling you like this..." she trailed off, too aroused to feel any shame or embarrassment at her words and actions. Completely uninhibited.

"Bella, I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that I could very well die right now if I don't touch you. I feel so selfish just sitting here while you receive no pleasure. Please let me feel you, too" I had no idea how I was even forming words at this point, let alone whole sentences. She had never let up on her rapidly adapting ministrations while we talked and I was starting to feel like a ticking time bomb.

Apparently no more convincing was needed. She slowly pulled her jeans and panties down over her hips, leaving them to pool around her knees. I could already smell her hot juices flowing. I turned a bit towards her, giving me a better angle to see and touch her.

I reached out my long, slender fingers slowly, as if any sudden movements would frighten her away. We both watched as my cold, pale digits came closer to the source of the most intoxicating arousal I had ever smelled. Gently, not wanting to hurt her, I let my fingers part her moist folds. It felt like pure liquid fire. I ran the tip of my middle finger up and down her opening, letting her juices coat me, bringing it back up to make tiny circles around the swollen bud of her desire. She moaned deeply, sending vibrations all the way through my body to settle in my throbbing cock. _So fucking hot._

"Bella, baby... spread your knees a bit wider for me." She braced her weight on my shoulders as she shuffled her knees wider on the seat. I wanted to be able to touch her more deeply, but I still didn't want to hurt her. I knew that she would have to set the pace until I could learn her body better. I slowly slid my finger back down to her tight entrance, circling and teasing her flesh, begging for admittance. Finally I was entering her body. Even though this was just touching, I couldn't help but be shaken at the significance of being _inside_ the body of the girl I loved more than anything else.

"Oh, fuck! Edward... that feels so amazing!" Bella threw her head back, moaning deeply. I slid my finger deeper, feeling her tight walls closing around me as her juices were dripping down my hand. _tight hot dripping wet fuck fuck fuck_

"Bella, listen to me. I don't want to risk hurting you like this, so I want you to move against me, alright? Let me learn what your body likes." I kept my finger seated deeply inside her while moving the heal of my palm up against her clit, giving her more contact. I could see the silvery reflection of my scar as it rested against her dark pink flesh. She slowly rocked her hips towards me, grinding against my hand and causing me to slide even deeper still. "That's it, ride my fingers," I groaned, my cock pulsing uncontrollably at the knowledge of just how good she felt.

As Bella continued rocking her hips and grinding against me, she reached out and squeezed my cock again, resuming her breathtaking pace. We continued like this for a few minutes, panting, stroking, grinding. We would kiss each other passionately at brief intervals, but neither of us could tear our eyes away from the others pleasure for very long.

I was fighting back my hunger better than I had thought I would. The urge was definitely there, but the sexual side of it was winning out right now. I could still hear her pounding heart, smell her alluringly luscious fragrance, and if I stared at her skin for too long I could make out all new patterns of veins under the surface.

I could tell by the tightening of Bella's body around me that she was getting very close. Her moans were getting louder, almost winning out over the pounding of her heart in my ears. I could feel that my own body was not going to be far behind, but I couldn't possibly think of anything else other than Bella's climax at the moment.

She began bucking furiously against my hand, letting go of me briefly to steady herself on my shoulders again. She cried my name out loudly and I felt her tight pussy clamp down on my fingers, flooding my hand with her scorching hot juices. _She smells like hot fuck. Grab her and slam her down on your cock, impale her with it up to the hilt! Pull her by the hair so that you can reach her neck. Bite her! Bite her hard! Sink your teeth into her flesh as you sink your cock into her tight hot cunt! _

"Edward, that was so wonderful." Bella looked down and saw my rigid cock standing at attention, never flagging for a second with her amazing scent so close. She reached down, quickly moving my hand out of the way and coated her own hand with her fluids.

"Bella, what are you doing" She leaned forward again, pressing herself fully against me. I could feel her warm breath against my ear as she began to whisper some of the dirtiest things I'd ever imagined her saying to me.

"I just wanted you to feel how wet you make my pussy, Edward." She gripped my cock again, only this time her hand was slick with her own lust. "Can you feel that, Edward?" Slipping over my hard flesh, hot, wet, tight. "Can you imagine what it will feel like to be inside of my pussy for real?" My breath was coming in harsh gasps now, my head was thrown back against the seat. I could feel my body starting to shake uncontrollably. I began thrusting up into her slick hand. "That's it... fuck my hand, Edward. Pretend it's my tight, wet pussy!"

I came undone at that. My entire body spasmed violently, finally releasing me from the exquisite torture. I reached out and grabbed the headrest in front of me, ripping it off during one of my convulsions. Before I knew it, I was tasting the most heavenly flavor, second only to Bella's boiling hot blood. I was sucking my fingers clean, still coated in her juices._ Oh fuck! Taste how much she wants you! She is begging you to take her! She is ready and eager!_ _Bite! Bite! Bite! Bite!_ The taste of her sent a second wave of explosions through me, covering my bare chest with spurts of fluid as I clamped my teeth down hard on my fingers.

I could already feel the stinging beginning. I looked at Bella, completely sated and her eyes full of trust and love. I licked my lips, the taste of her still there. I heard all of those lusty things she said to me, playing over and over again in my mind. I looked back at my fingers, healing already and starting to hurt badly. If I had bitten any harder I could have taken them clean off.

It would have been worth it.

**A/N: So? What do you think so far? I look forward to any thoughts, questions, reviews, or suggestions! **


	4. Explorations

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Twilight. Except a bunch of overpriced merchandise. I did kidnap Edward, though. He's in my bed, being forced into manual labor. ;)**

Chapter 4 - Explorations

Ever since that foggy night in the back seat of my car, Bella and I had been doing quite a lot of practicing. Nearly every night now we were exploring each other's bodies; at first with clumsy hands and trepidations, then later with an uncanny awareness of every single nerve ending.

I could not believe how fulfilling it was to bring pleasure to another person. Bella had become my most beloved puzzle, unlocking every clue with great anticipation. I had mentally cataloged every single whimper, every tiny mew of delight. Her moans were a never ending source of inspiration to me. Each night I would try to elicit a new sound out of Bella's beautiful, succulent mouth. I knew that I could literally spend lifetimes exploring her body and no matter how expert I became in the subject, I would always feel like there was room for improvement.

Bella, on the other hand, could play _me_ like an idiot savant or a child prodigy; picking up a violin for the first time and playing Mozart better than Mozart ever did. She was so good at what she did to me that I was honestly surprised that she wasn't already bored. Regardless of how little challenge I provided her, she still claimed to want me more every day.

We were never fully nude together at the same time, though. I wouldn't allow it. It was one thing to admire and explore each other, but I was afraid that if we did too much of that at the same time, our practice would quickly become less of a dress rehearsal and more of an opening night. No matter how paranoid and cautious Bella would tease me about being, I would only allow one of us to be completely nude at a time. Many nights we would lie together topless once our sensual expeditions were done, but the bottoms stayed on. The last thing I needed was another sexy rub up against a sleeping Bella with no pants on; our virginity would be gone before she ever woke up.

Sometimes Bella would lay completely exposed on her bed while I let my fingers do the walking all over her body. At moments like that, I felt like I was the closest to God that I had ever been, and Bella was my divine altar, allowing me to worship her flesh. Of course something so seemingly perfect would have its drawbacks, the most difficult part being whenever it was time to deny my holy communion. There were so many things that I wanted to drink from her body and none of them were possible. Well, not if I didn't want to kill her.

Tonight was such a night. We were actually in my room this time, however. Same scene, different setting. Alice had convinced Charlie to let her drag Bella off on an all day pre-wedding shopping spree, ending up in a sleepover at our house. The only way I would agree to letting them go without me was if Alice agreed to get the rest of the family away hunting once they let Bella get settled in for the night. In my bed, of course. Looking at her now, draped across my large golden mattress, head thrown back in ecstasy, I had never been happier that I'd bought this bed for her.

"What are you thinking about?" A breathless whisper in the darkness. I realized that Bella had been slowly resurfacing from her climactic coma. She had the most adorable tendency to practically blackout whenever she experienced release. She would get so caught up in the feelings and the emotions that her mind would shut off to all of it's surroundings. Every surrounding but me, that is.

"Welcome back," I teased, stretching up alongside her body, drinking in every inch of her with my still hungry eyes. "I was actually thinking of our very first night together on this bed. Do you remember it?" I knew full well that she did.

"Pfft! Of course I do!" She rolled her eyes in frustration. "Edward Cullen's ultimate cock-tease! I could have _killed_ you after that!" She made as if to punch me in the arm and stopped herself, remembering that it would only hurt her hand.

"Why Bella, whatever do you mean?" I put on my best angelic face. It must have been a good one, because she shook her head a bit as if to wake from a dream before she could collect her thoughts enough to speak. _Hehehe... you can still dazzle her when you want to. _

"You know exactly what I mean, Edward! I woke up in the middle of the night to find you pawing all over me! The touching... and the kissing... and pulling me on top of you... only to back off right when I was getting into it. So... _rude!_" I chuckled a bit at her retelling.

"I am sorry about that, Bella. I hadn't intended it to get quite so steamy, quite so fast. I got scared at my reaction to you. I knew that if we didn't stop, then I might not be able to stop. Your discomfort was never my intention."

"Oh Edward, really! I think we both know that if you were going to kill me, you would have done so by now. You just enjoy being a giant cock-tease!" I knew that she was kidding, at least partially, but her words brought me back to the problem at hand. Yes, I had been able to rise above my urges so far, but if Bella could see the things that went on in my mind she might not be teasing about it quite so much. Even now, lying here beside her warm, welcoming body, I fought to keep the beast reined in. _Bite her bite her bite her bite her... fuck her... she wants it... slam your cock inside her... she smells so fucking delectable... she would thank you for it... she wants you to turn her.... bite her and fuck her and make her completely yours... _

Well, at least I had managed to put off thoughts of her actual death. Somehow during our practice sessions I had managed to shift my focus away from murdering her. That was something; something quite big for me, actually... but it had been replaced with fantasies of finally turning her. I didn't want to do that. The rational part of my mind, however small a part it had become lately, still rankled at the idea of taking her away from any living future she may have. The non-rational side of me wanted to stop wasting time and claim her, claim every inch of her body, swallow every drop of her essence. I wanted to fuck her over the edge into eternity. Just the thought made my body shiver. _Focus, moron! Get your head back into this, you are missing out on the very night you wanted! _Well, it was nice to know that my rational thoughts were starting to win over again.

"Bella, I don't think that 'cock-tease' is quite the right term," I threw out playfully.

"Oh, you know what I mean! What would you call it then? What is the male equivalent of cock-tease?" She laid back against the pillow looking up at me, her frustration of the memory warring with the humor of our discussion was playing across her face. I think she had intended it to be a rhetorical question, but I saw the window that she had provided for me and I was not about to let it slip away.

I leaned over her slowly, dragging my lips across her cheek before settling at her ear. I let my sweet breath flow against her skin as I softly whispered, "Wouldn't that make me a pussy tease, Bella?" I felt her stiffen slightly against me, heard her breath catch in her throat. I ran my fingertips slowly down the length of her body, starting at her collarbone, circling each taut nipple, swirling around her navel, then leaving a cool trail along her inner thighs."Did I tease your pussy, Bella?" She exhaled sharply, releasing the breath that she had forgotten she'd been holding.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover recently that my darling little Bella liked dirty talk. Liked? More like Loved. _Craved._ I don't think she even knew that she did at first. This was all so new to her, so foreign, that she had absolutely no filter when things became so raw and instinctual between us. Whatever sensual thought would pop into her head would continue right out of her mouth, like she couldn't control herself. Words that she had either never said in her life, or had certainly never said in front of another person. I loved these moments with her. Not only were they unbearably erotic, but they were the closest I ever came to feeling as if I could read her thoughts.

She had been embarrassed at first, as if she thought she was going to offend my delicate turn of the century sensibilities. After I had reassured her that I had been around much longer than she had and probably knew more dirty words than she could ever dream up, she began to relax. I started out just listing a few terms to make her laugh and lighten the mood, but things suddenly took a turn towards the unexpected for us. Bella quickly discovered that she loved being talked dirty to even more than doing the actual talking. As soon as she heard my voice saying such naughty things to her, she jumped on me and ripped my shirt off, covering me with kisses. Consequently, I soon discovered that I liked using every tool in my arsenal to shatter her resolve into tiny bits and pieces. Nothing thrilled me more than thrilling her.

"Was it unbearable for you?" I continued my assault on her senses. I let my fingertips linger just out of reach of where she clearly wanted them. I tickled at the edges of her dark curls, and when she started parting her legs wider and seeking more direct contact, I pulled them away again, leaving her desperate. "Did I make your tight little pussy feel swollen? Were you wet for me?" Another hitch in her breathing. She nodded quickly. "I can't hear you, Bella. I believe I asked you a question." I moved my hand so that it hovered directly over her moist entrance, close enough so that she could feel the chill of my skin and I could feel the heat from her body engulfing me in its flames.

"Yessss..." she hissed between clenched teeth. She began raising her hips, trying to rub herself against me, which I of course did not allow.

"Was it worse than this? Did you want me more then than you do right now?" A slight brush of my fingers against her. She trembled beneath me.

"No! This is... wicked! Unbearable!" She exhaled sharply.

"I don't think you want this. I don't think you are hot enough for me yet." I leaned closer still, flicking my tongue to her ear quickly. I cupped my hand against her, holding her firmly, careful not to slip between her silken folds. "I want to see this beautiful cunt dripping for me."

"Oh, God!" She moaned loudly. That one always got her good. _Like it doesn't turn you on, too! You're bursting through your zipper right now, you fucking hypocrite! _I started making my way down her body, leaving icy kisses here and there. I suckled quickly at each lovely nipple, but I had to move along quickly before I nibbled too hard at them. I brought my lips as far down her abdomen as I could stand before it became too tempting for me. I sat back on my knees looking down at her from her side, letting my other hand massage her firm breasts while I was still cupping her. I could feel her throbbing against my fingers to the same beat that her heart was drumming in my ears.

"Now Bella... if I touch you... right here," I squeezed gently, "will you be dripping wet for me? Will this gorgeous throbbing cunt be ready for me?"

"Yes! Touch me, Edward! Now!" She spread her legs wider and arched up against me again, demanding.

"What do you want me to do differently, Bella? I _am_ touching you." I squeezed her a few more times for emphasis. Her pulse had become a deafening roar in my ears.

"Fuck me with your fingers, Edward! Please! Make me come for you... all over you. I can't get enough of you touching me!" With that I let my long, slender fingers slip inside of her, just at her opening. I spread her wide for my inspection, thrilling at the sight of her creamy fluids flowing over my digits. I swirled two fingertips around, dragging them up to gently massage her swollen clit. "Oh, fuck! Oh fuck, Edward... more... please, more! Deeper... I want to feel you inside of this tight, wet pussy." I quickly brought my left hand down away from her breasts to continue the assault on her clitoris while I gently slid my two fingers from my right hand farther down, feeling for her pulsating entrance. My cock was once again pounding to the exact same beat. I looked up at Bella's face and made sure she maintained eye contact with me. As soon as our eyes were locked into place, I plunged my fingers deep inside of her in one swift stroke. She was absolutely scorching.

I couldn't believe how amazing she always felt to me. Every single time was better than the last time.

"Oh, FUCK!" Bella cried out loudly, loving the deep strokes I was administering. I used both hands at the same time; constant, firm circles around the ever-tightening bundle of nerves while I shoved my fingers in deeper, eventually adding a third. I felt her walls starting to clamp down on my hand and I wished that it was my painfully engorged cock. "Edward..." she panted, grinding herself against me as hard as she could handle. "I can't tell you how much I love the feel of your hands on me... inside of me." She had to pause to groan. "I think about it every time I look at your hands. I almost can't bear to watch you play the piano any more. Such long, delicate fingers... but so talented. I get jealous of the fucking piano! I feel it here... deep inside me... every time you pound another key... it's like you're pounding inside my tight, wet _cunt!_" She used that word knowing it would get a reaction.

My entire body shook with need as I continued my handiwork. Swirling, sliding, slipping deeper still. The dual stimulation was too much for Bella to handle for very long, and she quickly exploded around me while screaming my name at the top of her lungs.

I _really_ liked having the place to ourselves.

….................................................................................................................................................................

When Bella came back to consciousness a few moments later, it was to find me hunched over myself beside her on the mattress, my hand down my pants and sucking furiously at my hand. I vaguely heard some type of animal sound somewhere off in the distance, but I couldn't pull my attention away from the hypnotic flavor that was coating my fingers long enough to care.

"Edward?" I barely heard her. "Edward, are you grunting?" _She's talking to you, stupid!_

"Huh?" Mumbling over my fingers, I turned around to look at her, my surroundings slowly coming back into focus.

"You're making noises... like growling. Are you alright?" She looked down and saw what my hand had not finished doing inside my pants. "Oh, poor baby!" she said lovingly, much as an owner would to it's forgotten pet. "Did I leave you for too long?" I realized with no small embarrassment that she had. I stopped what I was doing and turned to face her more fully. I found it odd that it was easier to pull my hand from out of my pants than it was to rip my fingers from between my lips.

"I'm sorry, Bella... I... can't seem to stop wanting to taste you. Your flavor makes me forget where I am sometimes." I looked down at my now drying fingers with a deep sense of loss and actually whimpered. _You sound like a wounded puppy, you idiot! You want more of that? You know what to do. Throw her back on the bed and bury your face between her legs. Just imagine her juices flowing freely over your lips, your tongue. If you think she tastes good off your fingers, just imagine how exquisite she tastes direct from the source! _I wanted to slap myself in the face to break the trance. As it was, it took a few decent head shakes to become fully lucid again.

The one thing I would not allow myself to do was the only thing I found myself obsessing over time and again. I wanted to taste her more and more every day. I would allow myself samples from time to time, but always from off of another surface, like my fingers. I was too worried that my venom would do damage to Bella's silken, slippery skin if I were to lick her there directly. It's the same reason we had never kissed any deeper yet. Just thinking of tasting her had the venom filling my mouth like a slavering dog. Even if I could be sure that it wasn't a risk, I was terrified of being that close to Bella's femoral artery. That had the most hypnotic dance... it called to me like no other.

"I know. I'm sorry I left you alone at such a time." She sat up and put her hands on my shoulders, urging me to lie down in her place. "I hate when I do that! I wanted to stay coherent..." she explained as her hands made fast work at my zipper, already an expert at the workings of my wardrobe. "I wanted to switch over to you as soon as possible. It would be so much easier if you didn't have to wait for me... if we could do this _together_." I saw from the look in her eye what she was hinting at. My hands darted out and caught hers as they were pulling the fabric of my trousers apart.

"Absolutely _not!_" I sat upright again, never releasing her wrists.

"But, Edward-"

"No! I mean it, Bella. This is one rule that I intend to enforce." She pouted briefly. I slowly released her, where she then continued as if never interrupted in removing my pants. "Hey... don't think I haven't noticed yet. Where are they?"

"Aww... Edward..." She pouted even more this time, and if I hadn't been so serious about the subject matter then I would have found her incredibly irresistible.

"Where are they, Bella?" She gave a quick look around the room. "Over there, on the floor."

"Put them on. If you want anything else between us tonight, you'll put them on right now... or mine aren't coming off," I said as I refastened my zipper. That warning hit home. She hopped off the bed, quickly retrieving her crumpled pair of blue boy shorts from the floor and putting them back on as she returned, muttering under her breath. "You know I can hear that, Bella. If you continue trying to crack me, then we aren't going to be able to keep trying like this. Do you want this to stop?" _Please say no, please say no, please say no_

"No, of course not!" _Oh, thank fuck! _"I'm sorry Edward, it's not that I'm deliberately trying to 'crack' you, I swear. It just seems as if it would be so much easier for us to not have to care about taking turns."

"Bella... this is how we are going to have to be for a while. I need to be able to stay as focused as possible. You saw me just now. The littlest deviation and I can totally lose track of where I am. I get lost in you so easily, Bella. Besides, I rather like sitting back and watching you. You always seem to enjoy doing the same to me," I gestured to her eager position at my side, just waiting to begin her own worship of _my_ flesh.

"Oh, I do love it, Edward, please believe me. I just feel so bad when I practically black out like that, right when you need me most. I feel like I'm missing something... that togetherness with you. I know I'll probably never be able to stop that reaction from happening, especially since you don't seem to be getting any _worse _at what you do to me," she said bashfully while looking up at me through her lashes, a bright pink stain spreading from her scalp, all the way down to the peaks of her quivering breasts. _I think my boner just got a boner. _"I just don't think I'd feel like I was... abandoning you... if we were both being affected at the same time, that's all I meant."

I reached out and held her face between my hard, cold hands. I pulled her to me slowly, leaning forward to meet her half way. "Bella..." I looked deep into her eyes. "You never abandon me. You may get distracted, but as we both just saw, so do I. We are learning new things every day. We have to be patient and enjoy our lessons." I pulled her lips to mine, softly kissing her delicate mouth. I held her still as I traced her lips with the very tip of my tongue, flicking lightly at the corners of her mouth. I could feel her tension leaving her body, and the kiss started to change. She moved between my legs, rose up on her knees and pressed herself against against me, burning hot skin to cold marble. My coldness did amazing things to her nipples, making them pebble up tightly where they were rubbing against me. I wrapped my arms around her, running my hands up and down her silken back as she kissed me more fully.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on the feel of her mouth on my lips and her body against mine. At times like this, I almost felt human. Her hot lips, sucking at mine. First the top lip, sucked between hers, then the bottom one, nibbled between her teeth. Sucking and nibbling. I felt her warm kisses trail away, down my chin, along my jaw. When they reached my collarbone, I felt her hands return to my shoulders, urging me to lie back. I complied this time, knowing it would be pointless to resist. There was no part of me, rational or irrational, that even wanted to try. I opened my eyes briefly as my head hit the pillow, seeing nothing but the pure love I felt at that moment reflected back at me.

She reached out and put her fingertip to each of my eyes, slowly closing them again. "Keep your eyes closed for me," she whispered against my lips. I relaxed once more, enjoying the sensation of nothing but feeling. It truly did heighten the experience. I felt her hot little hands toying with my zipper again as her mouth returned to my chest, trailing scorching hot, wet kisses to each of my flat, hard nipples. _Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck thatfeelssofuckinggood!_ I felt her full lips part, her velvety tongue circling, her moist... hot... mouth... sucking first one, then the other little hard peak between her lips. Her tiny teeth, nipping... biting... harder... _yes yes yes yes,_ her hands finally finding their way inside my pants, pulling them down around my hips and off my legs without even taking her lips off my body. When Bella was eager, there was no stopping her.

She sat back to reposition herself between my legs again and couldn't stop herself from admiring her handiwork. I heard her take a deep breath and moan.

"I'm sorry, Edward, but that is still the most beautiful thing I think I have ever seen in my entire life." I smiled to myself, knowing exactly what she was talking about. Fuck, if she weren't wonders for my ego. I pictured how gorgeous her delicious pussy looked to me when she was open and ready, and all I could think was _The feeling is definitely mutual! _

Bella wrapped both of her tiny hands slowly around my hard shaft. _Ohhhhhhh.... fuuuuuck. _One hand gripped around the base while the other one began to pump up and down softly. _So good so good so good so motherfucking good. _Her hands always felt like pure bliss. How could something so innocent feel so skilled?

She shifted slightly, leaning forward, moving her hands to run them back up my chest. This was different. Usually once Bella got a hold of me, she never wanted to let go for any reason, even after I was done. She leaned further against me, bringing her soft curves directly in contact with my hard cock while she stroked my chest muscles. _Ohhhhh.... that's different._ She began trailing kisses again, this time further down my chest, stopping only once she had positioned herself with her breasts on either side of my cock. Her hands disappeared again, I couldn't feel them anywhere, but suddenly I felt her delicious tits squeezing me more firmly. _What the?_ I opened my eyes for only a moment, but it was all I could take. My head dropped back down and I closed my eyes shut again, bracing myself for the onslaught of sensation. _Oh God... no no no... this is too much.... oh her beautiful fucking tits.... _And then I felt her. My once shy little Bella had gripped my cock firmly between her tits and proceeded to grind them into me, squeezing me between them. My eyes crossed inside my head.

"Oh God! Bella.... that feels amazing," I moaned, immediately checking my voice level. It was hard to remember that we were alone tonight and it was alright to make as much noise as we wanted. She began moving against me more aggressively, really stroking me with her soft skin. _Fuck fuck fuck fuck! _I couldn't help but to involuntarily thrust back, which sent a whole new wave of feelings through me. _Sofuckinggood yesyesyesyes! _After a few more thrusts against her, before I could say any more about it, she pulled away again and her hands returned. I was confused, but willing to let her play her game. If she didn't want me to look, I would let her surprise me. I felt her hands grip me softly, almost as if to steady my cock while her hot, liquid kisses returned to my chest... then my stomach... then my navel... _Oh Jesus Christ, where is she going?! _I knew, without any doubt, that I was about to break any connection I'd ever had with sanity. There it was. Something I hadn't even let myself imagine in my darkest, and I do mean darkest, fantasies.

Soft, moist lips... parting at the tip. Scorching heat, enveloping me.

_Bella's mouth. _

_On my cock. _

_Bella's mouth on my fucking cock!!! _

"Bella! What are you-?" My words were ripped from my mouth when I made the mistake of looking down at her. She was looking up at me, our eyes locked just as I saw the swollen tip of my rock hard cock disappear further between her lips. _I've finally died. I've finally died and gone to Hell. A Hell of my own making, where I can do nothing but watch and receive. _She never took her eyes off me as she darted her slick tongue out, swirling it around the tip, flicking at it, stroking the underside. _How did she learn to... where did she... Ohhhhhhh fuuuuuuuuckkkkkkk. _If I had thought that anything I had felt before this could be called exquisite torture... I was a fucking fool. _No argument here._ Didn't think so.

I tried to watch the most amazing thing that had ever happened to me, but it was so fucking intense watching her that I just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. I dropped my head back to the pillow, surrendering myself to the sensations once again. Hot... wet... unbelievable. It felt like she was using me like a lollipop, swirling and sucking at the tip, popping it in and out from between her lips, peppering tiny kisses all over it. When I thought I was just about to go completely crazy from the torment, the teasing kisses stopped... only to be replaced by the sensation of my cock sliding deep inside her mouth. I moaned loudly and nearly shook the bed with my spasm of pleasure. She held me firmly between her lips and began sliding her head up and down... slowly at first... then with more confidence as my moans grew louder.

I could feel her hands, roaming over my thighs, leaving fiery trails in their wake. They crept around my legs until she was gripping my ass in her hands, pulling me deeper into her hungry mouth, begging me with her body to thrust into her. Before I could stop myself I was flexing my hips... shoving further... feeling her hot breath flow over me. _This isn't Hell, this is Heaven.... sweet, perfect Heaven... so perfect... OhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGod! _I reached down and with both hands ran my fingers through her soft, silken hair... leaving my hands to settle behind her head, holding her. Holding the back of her head... my body shaking... thrusting harder.... deeper... hitting the back of her throat roughly.

Bella backed away suddenly, coughing and sputtering, trying to catch her breath.

"Oh my God, Bella are you alright?!" I sat up and reached for her, now in a dead panic. _Way to go, asshole, you could have killed her. And this time you weren't even trying to. _

"No... no, I'm fine! Honestly! That just took me by surprise," she said while her breath was evening out. I didn't believe her and kept inspecting her everywhere, positive I must have hurt her worse than she was letting on. "Edward, please! Believe me, I just wasn't expecting such a... positive reaction... from you. I guess you could say that I zigged when I should have zagged," she giggled, color flooding her cheeks again.

"Do you swear that you are alright? I won't have you lying to me about this, it's too important." My hands were all over her, stroking her hair and back, kissing her head. She had no idea just how precious she was to me.

"I swear, Edward. I'm fine. It was uncomfortable for that brief moment, but it's the kind of thing that I will learn the warning signs of as I go."

"You think I'm going to let you try that again?! Oh my God, I could have killed you, Bella!" I put my head in my hands, cursing my stupidity and inexperience.

"Edward, listen... that was an amazing first try! I'm very proud of how it went, and I am looking forward to making it better. We won't get better without practice, will we? It's just like everything else we're learning. Please calm down." She looked me in the eye and leaned forward, softly kissing me. "I trust us to get this right. I have an idea."

"What?" I asked suspiciously.

"Let me try something. Please. Just relax. I want to make you come for me, Edward. With more than just my hands. I want to have another try. I know you are close, don't try to lie. You know I can tell." My rock hard, never flagging erection was proof that I couldn't hope to deny.

"Bella... I don't think it's safe to... finish... like that. At least, not yet. I might lose control again and hurt you much worse."

"I agree. I have an idea. I just want you to follow my lead and let me try something. We'll end this a bit differently this time." She pushed me back down on the bed, kissing me passionately while her hand began massaging my cock. In under two seconds it was right back to the state of urgency we'd left it in.

She leaned down and began trailing her tongue up and down the length of it, finally sucking it deep between her lips.

"Oh, fuck! Bella.... please be careful," I moaned, already loving it more than I had any right to. She began sliding her mouth down on me more firmly again, increasing the pressure with each stroke of her lips and tongue. I felt a familiar pressure starting to build low in my stomach... along with the need to thrust. My hips started flexing slowly, pushing further in, loving and hating this moment. Bella continued moving her mouth on me; in fact she was getting faster. I groaned loudly, flexing deeper, my entire body starting to shake again.

And just like that, Bella was gone. She had recognized the signs, just as she's said she would, and moved herself out of harms way... straight onto my cock. She had pulled away quickly and scrambled up my body, straddling my hips in no time flat.

"What are you doing?" I had just enough time to get out of my mouth before her lips came crashing down on mine.

"I'm ending this a different way. Shut up and kiss me." Her kisses returned, along with the most delicious full body contact we'd ever shared. Bella was pressing her breasts against me tightly at the same moment she was grinding her soaking wet pussy against my cock.

"Bella," I gasped, "Is this... safe? I just..." my words were cut off by the amazing friction that she was creating.

"I have my shorts on, Edward... it will be alright," she panted. Grinding, rubbing, soaking wet fabric from her dripping juices. "Do you feel how wet you made me? Your cock tastes fucking incredible!" _Hot Fucking Christ! She's trying to kill you!_ "Now grab my hips and fuck me, you fucking pussy tease!" My hands grabbed her hips firmly, as if they were responding to her challenge of their own free will. I started controlling her movements with my hands, rolling her hips into me as I began thrusting up against her. Only a tiny bit of soaking wet fabric was keeping us from making it official.

She rocked into me harder and harder, moaning loudly, loving the way that my stiff cock was rubbing against her in all the right places. Her breasts were positioned right in front of my face; I couldn't resist sucking on them as I continued to pull her into me.

"Oh, God!" Bella cried out. "Oh, Edward.... I'm gonna fucking come all over you!" Thrusting, rubbing, grinding, sucking, moaning... oh the moaning. I could feel Bella's body tightening above me just as I could smell her intoxicating arousal, her climax was fast approaching. At that moment, Bella reached between us and slid her fingers beneath her shorts, shuddering at the contact. A few moments later, both of us shaking and ready to fall over the edge together, she raised up her fingers that were now dripping with her juices and shoved them in my mouth, pulling them away quickly before I could accidentally bite her. _But long enough to taste her. Holy fuck could I taste her._ As she pulled them out, she smeared her fingers all over my lips and face, soaking me in her flavor and her scent. "Lick my pussy, Edward! I know you want to... lick it up, baby." _Oh, you really shouldn't have done that. _

In one swift motion, I grabbed Bella, flipped her over on her back and planted my face right between her legs. Her fucking shorts were absolutely soaked through and the smell was making me a bit frenzied. I couldn't touch her directly, but fuck if I was going to take this torture any more without at least trying something else. I grabbed her thighs and spread them wide, inhaling her deeply. I began licking at the fabric, feeling her hot cunt throbbing just beneath the material. I couldn't get close enough to please me, rubbing my entire face over her, until all I could smell was Bella. I could feel her hard little clit pounding for me, and I wrapped my lips around it and sucked and licked until she was spasming beneath me, screaming my name. I could have stayed there all day, sucking the fabric completely dry if she had let me. _So good so good so fucking good she tastes so amazing so delicious so incredible so hot so pounding so much blood so much blood right here so much delicious intoxicating blood her pussy and her blood would taste even better together now now bite bite bite bite bite now now now NOW NOW NOW!!! _

I slid back up her body and wrapped her legs around me, grinding deeply against her, hoping that I wasn't hurting her but almost past the point of caring. I heard her screaming beneath me, felt her bucking against me and shaking wildly, knowing that I was about to explode. I looked into her eyes, knowing I was about to die a thousand deaths for her, and saw nothing but love. I ignored all of the beautiful blue dancing veins that were calling me, pounding for me, right there at the base of her glorious neck. Love. Bite bite bite bite bite bite bite bite NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW!!!! Love.

"I love you so much, Bella!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I thrust against her one final time, feeling that winding coil inside of me finally snap. My mouth was overflowing with venom, so I grabbed the first thing within arm's reach and shoved it in my mouth, biting down hard. All I could remember was hearing a loud ripping noise and pulling back long enough to see my hot fluid pumping all over Bella's naked chest.

….............................................................................................................................................................

Now, I know we don't sleep. But I swear on all that is holy that we must pass out. Perhaps vampires were also prone to climactic comas. It must not have been for longer than a minute, maybe even only 30 seconds, but I am positive that I lost consciousness somewhere.

When I came to, Bella was still passed out beside me with my fluid still dripping down her chest. I snuggled closer to Bella and wrapped my arms around her, holding her as close as possible. She was breathing deeply, almost snoring. Something told me that she wouldn't be waking up for a while. I considered wiping her off and cleaning her up, but the selfish animal in me absolutely adored that she was laying in my bed and covered in my scent. I had marked my woman well.

Tatters of fabric were scattered everywhere around us. I realized that my side of the bed was ripped to shreds. Apparently I had shoved the comforter in my mouth at the last moment, there, and ripped the shit out of it.

Oh well. It beat biting my hand for a change. At least this didn't leave a scar.

**Please please please, if you have any concern for this poor author's sanity, you'll leave a comment or review to let her know what you think. (sorry for the melodrama, I've been up til almost 3am trying to get this updated. I crave the reviews and feedback!)**


	5. Wedding Bell Blues

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! But after this chapter, I am stealing Edward. I just don't care anymore. He will be mine!**

Chapter 5 – Wedding Bell Blues

"I'm staying. Definitely staying." I rolled back onto Bella's bed, wrapping her up in my arms and planting tiny kisses along her jawline.

I could see her trying to find a point to argue so I quickly leaned forward, flicking the tip of my tongue against her lips, successfully distracting her. She lost herself in kissing me back for a moment, instinctively throwing her arms around my neck and melting against me. When she pulled away abruptly, she was flushed and out of breath.

"Stop it, Edward! I know what you're trying to do. As distracting as I might find you, that does not mean I'm going to allow you to miss out on _your_ important rite of passage. You've been all over me about not missing out on any of mine before the wedding... well, I'm doing the same to you this time."

"But Bella, it's ridiculous to have a party to mourn the passing of something I'm happily giving up. How is this even going to be a party, anyway? We can't drink alcohol, I have no desire for other women... isn't that pretty much the summation of a bachelor party?"

"Well, what have they done at any of their own numerous bachelor parties? Haven't they both remarried the girls over and over?"

"Well yes, but it's not the same. Rosalie and Emmett never really bother with any of that anymore, they've put on the show so many times. They consider it, well... _Rosalie_ considers it... renewing their vows, so he's still married. It's not really a bachelor party if he's married. At least that's her reasoning." I chuckled to myself, remembering all of the silly things Rosalie would worry about Emmett doing before each ceremony. She would get the most paranoid flashes of Emmett running off to Vegas and partying all night with strippers, gambling away thousands of dollars, coming home with empty pockets and a sheepish grin on his face. Well, perhaps they weren't _totally_ paranoid worries. I kept trying to tell her that he had learned his lesson well from 'The Great Flamingo Capri Casino Debacle of 1978', but she still had a firm 'no more bachelor parties' rule in place even now.

"And Jasper and Alice... they've always marched to their own beat. He's always considered it a human tradition anyway and never really cared about mimicking their ways. I thought at least _he_ would be on my side about this, but both of them are being insistent about going out tonight."

"Edward, don't you see why? You have to go! They're your brothers. They've been waiting a very long time for this, for you to find someone that you want to be with. Also, it sounds like it's the first true wedding your family has had in over 80 years. That's a big deal! I think it's sweet." I rolled my eyes at the word sweet. _Great... sweet. Like I don't have enough to worry about tonight, I have to deal with this because Bella thinks it's sweet? _

This was the last time I would see Bella before she would become my wife. This was actually about the last five minutes that I would see Bella, since Emmett and Jasper were going to arrive any moment to kidnap me for my 'bachelor party.' I still didn't want to go, I didn't want to leave Bella. I could have stayed right here, wrapped up in her arms for all of eternity. Also, there was some distant part of my mind that hoped I could bury my head in the sand and perhaps tomorrow might never come. Well... the wedding could come as fast as it wanted to... I just wanted to delay the wedding _night_ indefinitely.

I knew my time was up before I ever heard their voices. They were very close now, only across the woods. I kissed Bella more firmly, hoping that she could sense my reluctance to leave her, trying to make the most of our final moments. She kissed me back more fully this time, losing herself in the passion so deeply that she jumped at the sound of Emmett's voice outside her bedroom window.

"Put your pants on!" he called from outside, doing anything he could to embarrass his soon to be new sister. Bella turned the most beautiful shade of crimson and buried her head against my chest, instantly shy about being caught in the act. "Send him out now, Bella, or we're coming in after him, dressed or not!"

"Emmett, shut up!" I called. "You know damn well I'm fully dressed. Stop goading Bella!" I reluctantly pulled myself away, kissing her again briefly.

"Get some rest now," I whispered to her. "Tomorrow is going to be a long day." I smiled, remembering that I would soon be able to call this precious treasure my wife.

"As long as you remember that tomorrow night will be even longer," she purred seductively. I might not have been able to read her mind, but I'd have to be a complete imbecile to miss her meaning. As sexy as the thought was, the instant panic the image conjured was more overpowering. I pulled away then, steeling myself so that she wouldn't see the fear in my face.

"Five seconds, Bella!" Emmett called again.

"I should go, before he manages to wake Charlie up. I love you." I leaned down and kissed her one last, sweet time. "See you tomorrow, Mrs. Cullen." Now it was her turn to try and hide the panic in her eyes. I couldn't stop a small chuckle from escaping as I crawled out onto the window sill.

"What are you laughing at?" Emmett questioned as soon as we were out of hearing range of the house.

"Oh... she never ceases to amaze me. She's willing to give up her entire life without a second thought so that she can spend eternity with me, but she still starts shaking in her boots as soon as you say anything about marriage."

"Uh... isn't that going to be a problem then, if you are supposed to be getting married tomorrow, Edward?"

"No. She's as committed to seeing this through as I am." I glanced away, not wanting to meet his eyes. "We just each have our hang ups and are doing our best to deal with them." Before Emmett could question me any further, Jasper stepped from behind a tree.

"Took you long enough, Edward!" he teased. "That hard to pull yourself away?"

"As a matter of fact, Jasper, yes. It's _unbearable_. I had hoped you of all people would understand that." He met my gaze for a moment and I instantly started feeling calmer, the separation anxiety starting to fade. "You don't have to do that. I can handle it." Jasper was using his ability of controlling moods to help me through this.

"Yes, I do. If it's anything at all like I feel with Alice sometimes... you need all the help you can get." Not being one to linger on the emotional, Emmett interrupted us.

"Guys, come on! Let's get the show on the road!" he called back to us, already starting to run.

"Where exactly is it that we are going, anyway? I can't run in a direction I don't know. I know you are excited about going out, but there had better not be any 'Las' or 'Vegas' in the name of the town where you're taking me. Rosalie already made me promise that I wouldn't let you use this as an excuse to relive old glory days, Mr. Black Jack." Emmett rolled his eyes in frustration.

"Damn woman! I have _one_ little mess up and you'd think I destroyed the entire city!" He stopped suddenly, punching a nearby tree and knocking it over.

"I told you not to hit over seventeen," Jasper chimed in. "Maybe if you hadn't wrecked the lobby during your big hissy fit..."

"Not helping!" Emmett shouted, stomping off ahead of us into the forest, muttering to himself. Jasper and I looked at each other and broke into deep fits of laughter.

"So where are we really going?" I asked him a few minutes later, once we'd settled down.

"Up into Canada. There's big game out this time of year."

"We're going hunting?" I said, relieved. It was nice knowing I would be able to just relax and do something I enjoyed rather than have to pretend to be having a good time.

"Of course! No matter how much Emmett tried to convince me, I just didn't think The Crazy Horse was your type of hangout. Plus, I had to remind him that we were already banned from there the last time."

"Stupid Champagne Room!!" we heard Emmett yell out in the distance. Another glance at each other brought about another fit of laughter.

…..................................................................................................................................................................

A few hours later we were already deep into the hunt. This was just what I needed to get my mind off of my anxiety. Emmett had already made fast work of a giant grizzly bear and I was chasing down my second mountain lion. I didn't normally need two in one hunt, but I was attempting to gorge myself now so that I might have a better chance of being with Bella longer without needing to feed. We had the long day of celebration tomorrow followed by quite a long journey to our honeymoon destination. That was another little thing I did to buy myself some time. I had wanted to take her to the ends of the earth for our own private getaway, and this also helped give me a bit more time to adjust to the idea of our marriage bed. Bella, of course, had no idea that she was in for such a long wait. Now if I could only manage to keep her off of me until we got there, I might be able to pull off a romantic consummation.

When we had finished feeding, we all found a quiet spot by a hidden lakeside to sit for a while. I thought we were just resting up a bit before the long run back, but I quickly got the impression from their thoughts that this was going to be more than that. I immediately went on the defensive.

"So Edward..." Jasper started. He looked slightly embarrassed for only a moment, then I saw him visibly relax. I noticed with no small suspicion that I was beginning to calm greatly as well. "Um... we wanted to have a little talk."

"Yes?" I said coldly, none too happy about needing my emotions maintained by Jasper.

"About Bella," Emmett chimed in.

"What about Bella?" I returned.

"Well... we wanted to ask you... that is... we were wondering... um..."

"What Emmett is so eloquently trying to ask you is just what have you and Bella got planned for this marriage? We know that she needs to be turned, but how long are you planning on keeping her human?"

"For as long as I possibly can," I stated simply.

"Then why the big rush on the wedding?" Emmett asked. "Don't get me wrong, I already love her like a sister. I'm only wondering why this wedding is on such a fast track if you aren't going to turn her yet. We thought you were going to go to college. And you just said that she still acts apprehensive about marriage itself." I had forgotten how well spoken Emmett could be when he wanted.

"Well..." I delayed, "that would be my idea. I sort of made a deal with her. I really did want to marry her from the first moment I realized that I could stop myself from killing her. I wanted her to be mine. But I never thought it was possible. Then when the Volturi passed their sentence, as sad as the idea of changing her made me, at least I knew we would always be together. That's when I first proposed."

"That long ago?" Jasper was surprised.

"Yeah, but she kept me waiting. She didn't agree until we were about to battle Victoria and thought we might all die. Sometimes I still wonder if that's why she finally agreed. It still frustrates me to no end that I cannot read her thoughts!"

"Edward, you of all people know that Bella won't do anything that she doesn't want to do. I wouldn't worry about it too much. She has the commitment part right, she wants you forever. She just has to remember that it applies to all parts of her life, not just being changed." Emmett thought for a moment. "But what deal did you make with her? You said that she wouldn't agree until you made a deal."

"Uh... well..." I was actually feeling embarrassed at the idea of touching on this subject with them.

"I think what Edward is trying to avoid, dear Emmett, is finally having that birds and bees talk with his big brothers." Jasper smiled knowingly. _Fucking Alice and her big mouth! _He quickly adjusted my mood so that I was more mellow. As much as I was annoyed with him, I found myself feeling grateful that he could make this more bearable.

"The deal was about sex? Like... _all the way_ sex?"

"Yes Emmett. 'All the way' sex." I could feel my eyes rolling sarcastically. He stared at me for a moment and then burst out laughing at the top of his lungs, sending all the nearby animals running for their lives.

"Is that all? What's the big deal? That's the best part about marriage!" a knowing grin spread across his face.

"Emmett... think about it. She wants to do it _now_. She wanted to do it months ago, but I would never let her. I've been too damn scared to touch her. Only now, she's decided that she doesn't want to be changed without experiencing that with me first. She wants to have that as a human memory in case she is too frenzied after she turns into a newborn to have any time for that. That's when I told her that I would try... if she married me first." Realization slowly dawned on him.

"Oh... so you have to be with her... while she's still _human_? Is that even possible? I've never been with a human. Well, not since I _was_ a human. But I don't really remember that any more. Rosalie is honestly my only clear memory. Her and that fucking bear!"

"I don't think physical possibility is the problem, Emmett," Jasper guessed. "I would guess the biggest worry is control. Am I right? I couldn't do it. Absolutely no way. You know how hard it is for me to stay veggie as it is... but throw in having hot sex with the most delicious piece of meat I'd ever met..." He pondered a bit. "Nope. No fucking way."

"Thanks a lot, Jasper."

"Just being honest, Edward. I wanted you to know that I understand why you're so worried. But I do think that if anyone can do it, you can."

"So why do you have to get married if all Bella wants to do is fuck?" Emmett threw in his most pressing question.

"Why is that so hard for people to understand?!" I snapped. "You guys are as old as I am, you're just as old fashioned! Why is it so bad to want to marry her first? I have never felt like this about anyone in my life. _Either_ life! We both agree that there will never be anyone else for us. It's just not possible. Why should I put off making her mine? If she wants me to keep her with me for all eternity, she can damn well wear my ring while I do it!"

"Spoken like a turn of the century virgin," Emmett muttered under his breath.

"Fuck you, Emmett! So what? I'm proud of it. I'm proud that I am going to be sharing that with the person I am going to spend the rest of my life with." Emmett's eyes grew big and he started coughing.

"Holy shit! You mean I was right? I was only teasing because of how you were talking. I thought you and Tanya had hooked up... at least once or twice." He was shaking his head, trying to wrap it around my situation.

"No! She tried, but I didn't want any of that. I couldn't have cared less. I honestly thought my body was dead to all of that... until Bella."

"So not only do you have to have sex with a human... a human who you want to kill more than anything else in the world... but you have to go in, guns blazing, with no notches on your belt?!" Emmett pondered this new information. "Man, Edward... that is either the funniest or the saddest thing I've ever heard. Fuck! No... no way... I'm with Jasper on this. No fucking way. No wonder you've been acting so weird lately. What the fuck are you gonna do? That's a lot of pressure!"

I leaned forward and put my head in my hands, groaning loudly. This discussion wasn't doing anything but making me more frightened. I could very well come back from my honeymoon without my new wife. _Where's Bella? Oh, I just killed her. Yep. Fucked her to death. Don't worry, she went out with a smile. _

"Edward," Jasper interrupted my ravings. "Am I mistaken, or did Alice mention something about... practice? It sounded like you were well on your way to handling your urges." Emmett's head swung back around to me.

"Practice?! Ooh, you sly dog! What have you been getting up to?" I tried to ignore him, but these were the only people I had at the moment to discuss it with.

"Bella and I have been... practicing... different things... to try and build up my tolerance to her scent. I am normally alright around her these days, but when it gets too... well, heated... her scent changes just enough that I have to start the battle all over again. And so far, I've been able to make it work." I unconsciously rubbed the new scars on my hand. This did not go unnoticed by Jasper.

"But at what cost to you? Are those scars on your hand?" _Fucking loud mouthed Alice!! _He reached out and grabbed my arm, examining my hand. "Has Carlisle seen these?"

"No. I didn't exactly want this broadcast to the world. It's nothing, really."

"Nothing? Edward, are you forgetting how many scars I have? I know how much they hurt."

"It's really not so bad with my own venom. Besides, it's a work in progress. I think I found a way to avoid hurting myself more. What I'm bothered about now is that even if I'm able to fight the final biting urge at the last minute, how do I keep from physically hurting her body? She's so fragile."

"Well... you'll just have to take it as slow as possible. But... being your first time... man... you really set yourself up for just about every challenge out there, haven't you?" Leave it to Jasper to hit it on the head.

"Boy, Edward," Emmett joined in. "I hope for your sake that this practice you've been doing has done a little to desensitize you. If you go in there on your wedding night to bust a 90 year old nut, I don't think either of you will make it out of there alive." _Gotta love Emmett. No beating around the bush. _

"Thanks for the concern, Emmett. I don't think that should be a problem. We've done enough that I shouldn't embarrass myself or anything like that... but in all honesty, I can handle finishing quickly. I've got decades to perfect that. I'm more concerned with managing to not hurt her."

"I agree with Jasper, Edward. If anyone can do this, you can. Don't let it worry you too badly. You love her too much to hurt her. You are getting married tomorrow. Let yourself just relax for five minutes and be happy about that. The rest will work itself out. That being said... do you have any questions? Serious pep talk time now."

"Not really..." I thought about it. "Well... perhaps one." They both moved in closer, interest sparking on their faces. "Bella and I have done... quite a bit over the last few weeks. I'm getting used to her body, she's getting used to mine. We are very comfortable and natural with each other, so I know that's good. But there is one thing... the main thing, really... that we haven't done."

"And?" They both said in unison.

"Well... what's it like?" I looked up at them with pure curiosity on my face. "Some of the things we've done together... it's hard to believe that _anything_ could feel better than that. But something tells me that it does."

"It does!" both together again, nodding emphatically.

"I thought it might. Can you describe it? At least, what I should prepare for?"

"Have you spoken with Carlisle about this, Edward?" Jasper asked.

"Yes. Earlier today."

"And what did he tell you?"

"He said that it was a great physical pleasure, second only to drinking human blood." They exchanged glances and broke into laughter. "What? Is that wrong?"

"Well, no, not really," Emmett explained, "but leave it to Carlisle to make it sound so... clinical! And I don't even know if I could say it's second to blood. It's more like a tie. I could want them equally, it just would have to depend on how hungry I was or how horny, I guess, for which would win out. If I had to choose, that is. Now, I can't speak for human women, though. That is a whole different situation." Jasper thought for a few minutes before his reply.

"Now, I've had more human blood than either of you two combined. But when you have it that much, it just becomes food. It's great food, but no human is different than another, you drink when thirsty and that is that. It was a necessity, but that was all. I loved it, it was like eating my favorite feast every day, but there is no feast in the world that would make me choose that over pussy. If my favorite meal in the entire world was steak, but I was given the choice of either a nice juicy steak or a nice juicy pussy... well I'm sorry, but I'll go hungry a little bit longer."

"But what happens when both are on your plate at the same time? And there is nobody there to make you choose one or the other?" I looked at Jasper as I asked this, willing him to understand what I was worried about.

"When you put it that way.... I'm still back to the 'no fucking way' vote. For me, at least. Or else I'd be eating while I was fucking." That's what I was afraid of, too, except I'd be eating _what_ I was fucking.

"As for how it _feels_..." he continued. "I have never felt anything of its equal. Absolutely perfect."

"Fucking Awesomeness!" Emmett piped in. "I can't ever keep my senses with me when I'm in the middle of things. It's too amazing."

That's exactly what I was afraid of.

….................................................................................................................................................................

Our boat pulled up to Isle Esme in the middle of the night. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect setting. The moon was high and full, there was no end to the stars in the sky, the water was calm and warm. After the long hours we had just spent traveling, it was wonderful to finally have a place to land. And I didn't need to sleep; I couldn't imagine how exhausted Bella must be. She napped off and on during the trip, but nothing long enough to count as actual rest. Perhaps she wouldn't even have the energy to do anything tonight. I stole a quick glance at her. She seemed tired, but as soon as she caught my look she instantly brightened and appeared excited. Well... so much for that idea. This was going to happen whether I was ready or not.

As we made our way up to the beach house I reflected on our wedding. It had been more beautiful than I could have ever hoped to imagine. Alice really had missed her calling as an event planner. For a small wedding at our home, it was a lavish ceremony with flowers draped over anything that would sit still. The entire day had been surreal... it was my wedding day. _Mine._ Over one hundred years alone and it had finally happened. I still couldn't believe that Bella was officially mine now. I felt like I wanted to howl it from the rooftops.

She had been so breathtakingly beautiful. I had thought it would be impossible to improve upon perfection, but somehow Alice had done it. And the dress they had made for her... it was like something she would have worn if I had married her back in 1918. One look at her made my cold heart hurt, as if it were trying to beat again. As she walked towards me down the aisle, I remembered wondering if I would have been so eager to run off to war and become a soldier if I had met the lovely Bella Swan back then. Even her name had more significance to me now, looking at her like this. She was convinced that she would forever be the ugly duckling... but this truly was my beautiful swan. She looked elegant and refined and full of love for me. Now, her makeover hadn't done anything to actually make her more graceful, though. She nearly tripped about fifteen times that day, but every time I was there to catch her. She was humiliated, but it thrilled me to see that the same awkward girl I had fallen in love with wasn't lost forever. It was hard to believe when looking at her.

As we reached the door I picked Bella up in my arms, crossing the threshold. I didn't want to put her down once I had her. I carried her through the entire house until we reached the master bedroom. This was the real threshold to cross. I set her down in the middle of the room and made quick work of our luggage. We were both so nervous that you could cut the tension in the air with a knife. I made pointless small talk about the heat and the humidity, how I thought it might make her more comfortable since she would be so close to my freezing skin. I knew that she would probably like some time to be human since we had been traveling for so long, so I asked her to join me for a midnight swim when she was ready and I left her there to face the butterflies in her stomach alone. I would be too busy dealing with my own while I waited for her.

I slowly walked through the French doors that opened onto the beach, listening to the pounding of Bella's heart as she moved through the house. I looked out at the surf, the lazy black water slowly sloshing against the sand. _Please... please... please... don't let this be a mistake._ _Don't let me hurt her._

I was lost in my thoughts as I walked through the sand, feeling the hot granules shifting under my icy feet. I unbuttoned my shirt and draped it over a nearby log, my pants soon following.

Walking into the ocean, I knew that the warm water would help to warm my body a bit. I waded in until the water reached my chest and stood frozen still, staring up at the moon. _Please God... if you even exist... if there's any chance that you still hear me... just don't let me hurt her. Don't let me come this far to lose her now. _I heard my new wife walking towards me now, her heartbeat thrumming like a hummingbird. Without a backward glance I could tell that she was also disrobing and making her way down the beach to join me.

A few quiet ripples in the water and she was there, at my side, reaching out to hold my hand. I turned to face her and almost stumbled, the look of pure love and trust shining up from her face nearly blinding me. How could this possibly work? Nothing was supposed to go this right for me. She turned her face up to the sky, remarking the moon for the first time.

"Beautiful," she exhaled in one long breath.

"I couldn't agree more," I said, never taking my eyes off her face. I held her face gently between my hands and leaned down to place a tender kiss on her lips. She immediately reacted, her heart doing somersaults in her chest, her arms sliding through the water to wrap around my body and pull me against her more fully. My body responded instantly at the feel of her wet body slipping against my chest, the feel of her hard nipples making my cock spring to full attention. I allowed her to deepen the kiss slightly, but when she started breathing franticly I pulled away.

"Bella," I said, trying to bring her back to the moment. Her eyes were slightly glazed but at the sound of my voice she began to focus again. "Bella... I promised to _try_. But I need your help. If you feel even the slightest discomfort, the most minute pain... you _must_ tell me immediately."

"Edward, I trust you. This will work, I know it. You have to relax."

"Bella... I'm absolutely terrified right now. I will do my best to relax but I need your word that you will help me." She stood up on her toes and kissed the tip of my nose and pulled me closer into an embrace. The movement made all sorts of friction against the front of my body.

"Edward," she whispered against my wet skin, "I promise to do the best that I can to help you. Please don't worry so much. We belong together. I have never believed it more than I do at this very moment. We belong together."

"Forever," I whispered back, and leaned down to claim her lips again.

We held each other closely for a few minutes more, then I broke away and took her by the hand, wading deeper into the sea. We swam side by side for a while, never getting very far away from each other. Nice, lazy strokes in the water. The moonlight illuminated her skin until she almost glowed, every droplet of water glinting there, making me want to lick it off. We kissed slowly, our lips slipping and sliding against each other, the sensation making my head spin. Bella did not feel close enough to me yet, so she swam into me and wrapped herself around me, her legs going around my waist, her arms around my neck. I had to move to more shallow waters and stand on my feet, the water around our shoulders now. I couldn't concentrate on swimming with her slick body rubbing so fully against me.

We kissed passionately, my hands roaming up and down her back. I moved my mouth down to her jawline, trailing kisses down to her neck. Bella moaned deeply and arched her head back, thrusting her dripping breasts towards me as an offering. I slid my lips down to cover each nipple, sipping and suckling the warm ocean water from her skin. It tasted like her. Everything around me had become saturated with Bella. My hands roamed further down her back, settling on her bare bottom and pulling her into my rock hard erection. She rocked her hips more fully into me, her silken folds sliding against the underside of my cock. She grabbed my head roughly and brought me back up, her lips crashing down on mine, her teeth biting at me with her urgency. She pulled away from me long enough to groan out one word.

"Bed!" And there were her lips again, preventing me from even responding. Without breaking her violent kiss, I carried her back to the bedroom. Trailing water and wet sand all over the hardwood floor, I brought her to the side of the bed and leaned over, dropping her there softly. I made to follow her but she put her hand to my chest and stopped me. "Wait!"

"Is something wrong?" I asked in a daze, wondering how I could have hurt her already.

"No... no," she replied breathlessly. "I just want to look at you for a moment. I want to remember everything about tonight with as much clarity as possible. Will you stand here for a second?" I would have been embarrassed if I weren't so turned on, but I wanted to make this night everything that she wanted. I stood back slightly from the edge of the bed and immediately felt her eyes raking over my flesh. She sat up completely, a bright pink flush covering her skin. She reached out her small hand in a beckoning gesture. "Come here to me, Edward. Come closer." I stepped towards her and took her hand, surprised when her other hand reached out and slipped around my thigh, sliding up to my bare ass. When I looked down at her, the swollen tip of my erection was positioned right below her bottom lip. Her eyes met mine. "I want to remember how you taste tonight."And with that, she slipped my cock between her lips and slid her mouth down the length of me.

The deep growl that was ripped from my body shook the walls of the bedroom.

Both of her hands settled on my ass, pulling me deeper inside her mouth. I braced myself on her shoulders, trying not to lean all of my weight on her. I flexed my hips into her mouth involuntarily, the feeling of her mouth making my head spin. I felt Bella shift her mouth, and the next thing I knew her teeth were scraping down the length of me. _Oh fuck! Does she want the entire night to be over already? _She bit down more firmly at the base of my shaft, sending my body into convulsions.

"Bella!" I cried out, "you have to stop! Oh fuck!" I pulled away from her, and it took every ounce of my strength to do so.

"Was that wrong? I thought you might like that," she asked, completely oblivious to the power she had over my body.

"It was amazing... I just wanted tonight to be about focusing on _your_ pleasure, though... and that was... more than a bit distracting," I gasped, trying to refocus my attention.

"But Edward, tasting you like that brings me more pleasure than you could ever know." _I am going to fucking die. There is no way I am going to make it through tonight with this woman. She is going to kill me with her passion before I could even try hurting her with mine. I swear if she keeps saying things like that I am going to explode right here where I stand. _

"We have all the time in the world for that, Bella. We only have this first time between us once. Let's focus on that." I reached out and stroked her cheek, leaning down to kiss her again. She brought her arms up around my neck and I leaned her back on the bed, crawling up after her. We stretched out lengthwise on the bed, kissing and fondling, eventually making our way up towards the pillows. It felt so right to feel my naked body pressed firmly up against hers. We _belonged_ together.

I ran my fingers down the length of her body, trailing icy circles down her abdomen. I bent my head to capture one of her taut nipples between my lips and began to suckle as I slipped my long fingers between her dark curls. I was shocked at the amount of wetness waiting for me. Slowly I started moving my fingers, first making tiny circles around her swollen clitoris, then sliding them deep inside her body, loving the feeling of her juices flowing so freely. I knew she was ready for me, she had never been so swollen and wet, but I wanted to make sure that she climaxed at least once before I tried to enter her. I didn't know how pleasurable she would find it this first time and I wanted to make everything about this perfect. I slid my fingers back to her clitoris, swirling faster, pressing more firmly. She began rocking her hips against my hand, gasping and moaning my name. When she began shaking in my arms I knew that she was close, and when she seized up and cried out my name I could have wept at her beauty if I'd been able to. While she laid beside me and caught her breath, I slipped my fingers between my lips and sucked them clean, feeling my cock throb so hard at the taste of her that it was painful. I raised up on my elbows and leaned over her, kissing her passionately.

The time had finally come. I slowly maneuvered between her legs, never breaking away from our kiss, spreading her wider with my knees, nudging her apart until I felt my erection rubbing against her moist folds. We both stopped kissing and locked eyes, a shudder rippling through both of our bodies simultaneously. I kissed her softly and pulled back enough to look deep into her eyes.

"Are you sure?" I whispered against her lips.

"More than anything else in my entire life. I love you, Edward."

"I love you too, Bella. Forever." I raised back on my knees enough to position myself at her entrance, already feeling her moisture coating me. I was torn between watching our bodies join and watching her face. I wanted to see both equally. I watched our bodies first, to make sure that I was entering her correctly. Just the sight of the tip of my cock pushing inside of her was too much for me, I had to look away or I knew that I wouldn't last more than a few seconds longer. I focused on Bella's face instead, looking for any signs of pain. I began to flex my hips, pushing forward as slowly as possible. Her body was so tight, I could hardly move inside her. She gasped loudly and I stopped, worried that it was too much.

"No... don't stop Edward," she moaned. "It's just going to take a little time for my body to adjust to you. It's really not bad, I promise. It hurts, but in a good way. Just keep rocking into me... that feels so... _right_." She moaned again on the last word, bringing her hips up to meet mine. I did as she asked, rocking my hips into her, slowly at first, then more firmly. Each thrust brought me a little bit deeper inside of her body. I could tell that I still wasn't all the way in, so I pulled her legs up around my waist and rocked forward again, thrusting deeply. I felt an abrupt tear, felt Bella stiffen against me briefly, and the next thing I knew I was seated deep inside her body and she was moaning loudly.

"Oh God! Edward! Don't stop!" she began bucking her hips, pulling me into a violent rhythm, taking me deeper and deeper inside her. I was lost in the sensation of it. It felt more amazing than anything I had ever imagined. I started moving more fully, rocking into her, trying so hard to hold back but not sure if I could. This was what I had been searching for my entire life. Nothing had felt so complete. _So good so good so right so amazing she feels so tight so scorching hot so wonderful BLOOD! Blood blood blood blood! _

My eyes shot open as I realized that a burning thirst was ripping down my throat. My nostrils were flaring, searching out the source of that hypnotic scent. _Blood._ Bella's blood, without a doubt, but I had never smelled it this clearly before when we had been together. The only times it had smelled so strong had been when she had been cut. Which meant that she was bleeding. _Oh fuck! _I looked down at her, but she seemed oblivious to any pain. She was writhing and moaning, bucking against me wildly. I remembered suddenly that tear I had felt, and realized with a dawning horror just _where_ she was bleeding. I had broken through her maidenhead. It didn't smell like much blood, but just knowing it was there was driving me insane. _You dumb fucking idiot! How many times have you gone through medical school, and you never thought about this possibility? _

My body was warring with itself, quickly losing control. The man in me was reveling at the knowledge that I had made my wife my own. The animal inside me was growing more excited by the knowledge that I had fully claimed her, and the scent of her blood was fueling him on. _Fuck her! Fuck her! Harder! Mine! Mine mine mine mine mine!_ I ignored the burning thirst in my throat and thrust away, rocking into her harder, burying my face in her neck, inhaling deeply.

"Oh, Bella!" I moaned loudly against her skin, flicking my tongue out to lick at the beads of sweat that were pooling at her collarbone. She wrapped herself around me tightly and held on, bucking furiously against me, shaking and moaning. I felt her tight swollen walls clamp down on me suddenly and heard her scream my name. I felt her fluids flow over me as fast as the venom was pooling in my mouth. I thrust harder, knowing that my release would soon follow. _Harder! Fuck her! Spill your seed deep inside of her hungry cunt! Now now now now now BITE! Bite bite bite bite! _

I convulsed violently, a blood-curdling growl ripping from my throat as I emptied myself deep inside of Bella's warm, welcoming body. I brought my mouth to her throat, my teeth bared, dripping venom. I was almost about to sink my teeth deep into her flesh when I snapped back to reality, quickly shifting my aim and ripping into the pillows under her head. I tore at it so violently as I finished riding out my thrusts that by the time I was done there were feathers covering the entire bed. I looked at Bella quickly to make sure that she wasn't terrified, but she had already passed out.

I withdrew from her quickly, trying to get as far away from her as possible. I ran into the bathroom and locked the door, hoping to collect myself. My throat was still on fire and all I could think of was her laying in there, completely vulnerable and offered up to me like a sacrifice. I turned on the shower, hoping that getting her scent off of me would help clear my head. As I began scrubbing myself, I realized that I still had her blood on me. I wiped it off, intending to rinse my hand off under the water. Instead, I found myself raising trembling fingers to my face. I inhaled deeply and my body shook, instantly aroused again and more hungry than ever. This was a mixture of Bella's two most precious fluids, and it made a heady cocktail for my senses. Before I could think about it, I was sucking my fingers clean again.

My vision went blood red. My body convulsed again, exploding in another climax without any contact. My head began pounding with Bella's heartbeat. The next thing I knew I was clawing at the door, wanting nothing more than to rip her throat open. I started clawing at the handle, so drunk on her blood that I didn't even remember how to unlock it. That is the only thing that saved her life that night. While I was busy trying to claw through the metal handle, somewhere in the back of my mind a tiny fragment of my consciousness broke through. _Get the fuck out of there! This is the frenzy, you idiot! Get as far away from her as possible you fucking animal! _

The last memory I have from that night was of bursting through the bathroom window, completely nude, running off into the wilderness to rip apart any animal that I could get my hands on.

**A/N: So? What do you guys think? How was that for a wedding night? Now we know why Edward was so freaked out the next morning! I'm not done yet, there are more encounters coming. Please review and let me know what you thought! **


	6. The Honeymoon is Over?

**Disclaimer: You know the drill. Stephenie owns them all. She won't give me Edward, no matter how much I beg!**

**A/N: There is some dialogue in here that is taken from Breaking Dawn, but not in an attempt to plagiarize, only to fill in the gaps of Edward's POV. **

_What have you done, you disgusting fucking animal? _

I tried. I tried and I succeeded. She is still alive and unharmed. _UNHARMED? Are you looking at the same bruises I am looking at? You had no right to touch such a frail human! She is sweet and special and beautiful... you are an abomination. There is no reality that exists where you two should be allowed to be together in that way._

My eyes roamed over Bella's sleeping body. Faint purplish marks were already beginning to surface in many places. If I looked close enough I could see the outline of my fingers on her arms. _Way to be gentle with her, asshole. _

In truth, they were not horrible. With as easily as I knew Bella bruised, they could have been much worse. However, they served as reminders of just how easily I could have killed her. With each new mark that appeared came an instant flashback to my violent frenzy from the night before.

I had hunted for hours. Hunted wasn't even the right word to describe it. _Slaughtered._ Yes, that was more like it. I had lost count of how many animals I had drained and left to rot. I had gorged myself until I thought I would burst, trying anything to alleviate my need. By the time the sun began to rise, I was almost back to my old self. I ran back to the house, sneaking back in through the bathroom window. I could only hope that Bella had not awoken while I was gone and discovered my absence.

I had listened to her steady breathing through the door and was thankful that she had not missed me. When I turned back to turn the shower on again, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and stopped dead. _So this is what she married? This is what she has pledged her undying love to? A fucking MONSTER? _I was covered in blood. There were streaks of it all over my face, my arms, even on my chest. My hair was a crazy mess and I could even see blood there, too. All of that was nothing compared to the wild look in my eyes. I had no doubt in my mind that if Bella had seen me at that moment, she would have run from the house screaming. This was the stuff of legends. This was full-on Hollywood horror film.

I had showered and righted myself as quickly and quietly as possible, only returning to the bedroom once I resembled the person Bella had married. The moment I entered the room I was disturbed to find that the delicious scent of our lovemaking still hung in the air like a thick cloud. I was instantly hard again and absolutely disgusted with myself. I climbed back into the bed, not surprised when she immediately rolled over and clung to me. I was worried that she was waking up, dreading the questions that might follow, but as soon as her hot skin made contact with the coolness of mine she was out again for another four hours. I was thankful for the extra time to compose myself, but laying there next to her when she smelled so amazing and was covered in the visible evidence of the danger I posed her was more than a bit disconcerting. A rock hard erection and insurmountable fear did not go well together.

When Bella finally woke up beside me I was more brusque with her than I intended to be. I was so upset about what had happened that I completely ruined the lovely mood she had been in. On top of that, I lied to her. It was more a lie of omission than anything else, but I let her think that the bruises on her body were the only reason I was terrified of touching her again. No wonder she was furious with me, they really were not that bad, but under no circumstance did I want her to know how close she had been to death. _It wouldn't have been so bad if you hadn't tasted her blood, idiot._ Doesn't matter. The risk was there. _Just don't do that again! You can have her, you've already proven you can. A few bruises are no big deal._ No! My mind was made up. I would not be touching her again. Not until she was changed. _Yeah... good luck with that._

As expected, Bella was none too happy with my decision. She begged, she whined, she pouted. I felt bad knowing that she only had half the story, but I could not bring myself to admit what had happened. Maybe some day after she had been changed and she truly understood the hunger, then I might discuss it with her, but until then I planned on keeping it to myself.

I focused all of my energy on keeping Bella distracted. I took her all over the island on all day hiking excursions, took her snorkeling for hours, anything that would keep her occupied and make her too exhausted by the time we got back to do anything other than pass out. That didn't stop her from trying, though. The little minx didn't make it very easy for me, either. She caught on to my intentions fairly early and tried to combat them with her own naïve forms of seduction. The fact that she was so sweetly unsure about what she was doing made it even more irresistible to me. Every night she paraded around the house in a new negligee, each one even skimpier than the last, embarrassed and unsure of my reaction but determined to find a crack in my armor. If she only knew how close she had come! She looked so delectable, and every blush that rose in her skin made my mouth water. Each night was a fresh Hell, tempting me to the breaking point, trying to ignore the fiery ache in my loins that wanted nothing more than for me to sink myself deep inside her hungry body.

About a week into my enforced celibacy, Bella pulled out the big guns. She came tiptoeing into the bedroom wearing a tiny scrap of black lace that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. Her erect nipples were clearly visible where they poked through the gauzy fabric, as well as the fact that she wore no panties. I grew hard instantly. _Thanks a lot, Alice! How am I supposed to compete with THAT?_ I tried to compose myself before she caught my reaction but from the evil grin on her face I could tell that I had given something away in my expression.

"What do you think?" she asked, pirouetting around the bedroom, making sure that I caught a good view of every angle. _Oh fuck_. As she lifted her arms above her head and slowly spun around, the bare globes of her perfect ass peeked out from under the lace. My cock jumped in response. _I am not going to live through tonight._ I cleared my throat, trying to dislodge the lust in my voice, took a deep breath and counted to five before responding.

"You look beautiful. You always do," I feigned indifference. She huffed loudly, her insecurities allowing her to fall for my ruse, and climbed into bed. _Oh Bella, if you only knew._ She quickly switched tactics, trying to bargain with me, going so far as to offer remaining human longer and going to college with me... in exchange for sex, of course. My erection was now swollen to the breaking point. _She is cunning and ruthless. She will make an unbelievable predator._ She knew how badly I wanted her to wait before changing. I felt my resolve starting to crack. I could not allow myself to give in."Why are you _doing_ this to me?" I snapped, more angrily than intended. "Isn't it hard enough without all of this?" I growled, reaching over and grabbing a handful of black lace that had settled on her thigh. Her silky, delicious thigh. I felt my hand starting to shake. _So close. My hand is so close to her wet, swollen flesh. _I wanted nothing more at that moment than to rip that lace to shreds and lick every inch of her skin. _No!_ I dropped the lace and pulled my hand away as if it had been scorched. "It doesn't matter. I won't make any deals with you." _Not when hurting you is a risk._

Somehow, after she argued and begged some more, I got her to cuddle against me and drift off to sleep. No matter how upset she was with me, she always let me hold her as she slept and I was thankful for it. It was trying on my instincts to be so close to her and not make mad, passionate love to her, but regardless of my fears I simply needed to touch her. At least I could have that. _It won't be enough for long. You've felt how amazing it is to lose yourself inside her. You need her as badly as she needs you. _

I am stronger. I can handle it. _Sure you can. That's why your cock hasn't gone down for longer than two_ _minutes in about five days._ Even now it was standing at full attention. Having Bella this close to me in a constantly aroused state was wreaking havoc on my body, more than it ever had before. It was true... knowing exactly what I was missing out on now made this much more excruciating.

Bella had been sleeping like the dead for the last week, something I attributed to our exhausting daily activities. It was odd to have complete silence throughout the nights and I found that I missed hearing her interesting mumblings. For days now I hadn't been able tell if she was having any dreams at all, which is why I had been so surprised when she had mentioned in passing earlier that she'd been having terrible nightmares. That's why, when she awoke with a start a few hours later, I thought she had been having another one.

"Bella?" I shook her gently. "Are you alright, sweetheart?" No response. She looked around the room in a daze and to my utter astonishment, burst into tears. "Bella! What's wrong?" I held her face carefully between my hands and tried to wipe the tears from her heated cheeks, but others soon followed. I held her to me closely and rocked her gently, worried that her tears had not abated.

"It wasn't real," she whispered against my skin.

"What wasn't real? Were you having another nightmare? That's right, darling, it wasn't real." For some reason this made her cry even harder. Huge, wracking sobs against my chest. I was starting to get scared when she finally spoke again.

"Not a nightmare... it was a _good_ dream." Her voice broke on the last word, sending her into another round of tears. I was so confused. I really hated not being able to read her mind. It would make times like this so much easier.

"Bella, if it was a good dream, then why are you crying?" I pulled her even closer to me, trying with everything in my power to ease her suffering.

"Because I woke up!" she wailed against my neck. I begged her to talk to me about it, that maybe it would help, but all I could get out of her was that she had been dreaming of the two of us on the beach and it had been sunny and very real.

"Bella... please tell me why you are so sad," I begged. _Please let me help make it stop. I can't bear to see her in pain._ She suddenly pounced on me, wrapping her arms around my neck tightly and kissing me with more urgency than I had ever felt from her before. In that instant my body went up in flames, violent need ripping through me to my very core. Not hunger... pure need for her. I could smell her body's response to the kiss and hear her heartbeat drumming in my ears, but I didn't smell her usual scent of arousal. This was different. This was need. Her need matched my own. Our bodies were literally in painful need of each other. I kissed her back and for the briefest moment everything felt right in the world. Then my mind woke up and decided to ruin everything with it's nagging fear. I pulled away quickly from her. "No, Bella." I pushed her away as gently as possible. I don't know which one of us the action hurt more.

"I'm sorry," she stammered, a broken and defeated look on her face. I saw fresh tears beginning to brim, so I pulled her to me tightly and prayed that I could make her understand.

"I can't, Bella. I just can't!" I cried out in frustration. I was in absolute agony. My body wanted nothing more than to comfort her the way that a husband should, to love her tears away, to replace her cries of sadness with cries of ecstasy. My fucking mind wouldn't let me. In that moment I wanted to just let go, but I was paralyzed with fear. In the span of a few seconds my mind was warring with itself.

_You'll hurt her. Something else could happen. She could be killed._

It was only a few bruises. I am strong enough to stop.

_You are weak. You can't even handle a few tears and you are ready to cave. What happens if she bleeds again? Is a quick fuck worth losing her?_

It won't be that way again. I know what to expect this time. This isn't a quick fuck. My wife needs me to help her. I'm being selfish in my fear.

_You're being weak in your need. All she has to do is bat her pretty eyes. What good can come of this?_

I can be a good husband to my wife who needs me. I need her just as much right now.

"Please, Edward?"she choked out in a broken whisper against the cool skin at my throat. I could actually feel my resistance break into tiny pieces. At that moment... need won. For the first time in over ninety years I did something that I didn't know was in my power to do. I _surrendered. _And it was magical. I felt the fiery need engulf my body, more potent than any thirst I had ever felt. I pulled Bella's lips to mine again, groaning at the electrical current that began coursing between our bodies.

A different kind of frenzy took over that night.

Our hands began roaming over each other's skin, leaving scorching trails of need in their wake. It was as if we hadn't touched each other in years rather than only a week. Bella became a woman possessed, trailing hot kisses down my neck and chest as her small hand ran down my belly and disappeared beneath the sheets, slipping under the elastic of my shorts. When her fingers wrapped around the swollen base of my shaft I arched up off the bed and let out a loud moan. _How the fuck had I gone without her so long?_ _I missed her so much! _

Bella shifted so that she was hovering over me, dragging those hot wet kisses further down my chest to my stomach. Her hand was gripping me tighter and beginning to stroke slowly, sending waves of pleasure through my body. I felt her tongue making slow circles around my navel as her hands deftly pulled my shorts down past my knees. Before I could ask her what she was doing, her hot mouth was on me, slipping the plump tip of my cock between her lips.

"God... Bella!" I groaned loudly. She had positioned herself between my legs and was slowly bobbing her head up and down the length of my cock. Her hands were stroking up and down my inner thighs, slipping underneath them and coming up around my hips, pulling me more fully into her hungry mouth. _So good so good holy fuck so amazing! _I could feel her hot tongue making circles around the tip as she raised and lowered her mouth on me, sucking in her cheeks until the friction was unbelievable. "Bella... so good! I don't... I don't know how long I can handle this."

She moaned around my cock, sending vibrations through me that made me want to weep. I felt her tugging harder on my hips, pulling at me, urging me to move into her more fully. I slowly started thrusting into her mouth, eliciting another deep moan from Bella. My entire body was tingling, like a limb that had been asleep and was just waking up. I followed her lead, thrusting harder when she signaled, until I was practically fucking her hot wet mouth. I felt her move her lips back a bit, and then she was gripping me with her teeth, sliding them up and down the length of me as she tightened her grip. _Oh holy fuck! _I felt the muscles in my abdomen start to tighten and I knew that I was close.

"Bella... Bella..." I managed between loud pants, "Oh, God! Bella... I think I'm going to come!" She moaned loudly around me again and started moving her mouth even faster. I had been trying to warn her so that she could move, but she didn't appear to be going anywhere. "Bella... I'm gonna... Oh, God... I can't hold it!" I felt my orgasm rip through me as violently as the scream tore from my lungs. My hips bucked uncontrollably, but Bella never let go, swallowing every last drop that spurted from me. She groaned loudly and I was scared for a moment that I had hurt her. "Bella? Are you alright?" I panted, trying to collect myself.

"So. Fucking. Good." was all she could moan.

"Bella?" I looked down to find her smiling up at me, pure love in her eyes.

"Edward.... your cum tastes amazing! I always wanted to do that, but I never thought it would taste so good!"she gasped, moving up to lay her head on my stomach, her soft breasts laying against my apparently never-softening cock. It was already stirring to life again, just feeling her that close to me.

"You didn't have to do that, Bella," I said, stroking her soft hair and her back as she lay against me.

"I know. Please believe me, Edward. I _wanted_ to do that. More than you could ever know." She leaned up on her elbows and began kissing my stomach again, making me harder by the second. I knew she could feel it against her. _Little minx knows exactly what she's doing! _I wasn't about to let her have all of the fun tonight. She wasn't the only one who was starving around here. I reached down with a growl and grabbed her underneath her arms, pulling her up in one swift move until her knees were on either side of my head and she was sitting back against my chest. "What are you doing?" she gasped.

"I want to taste you, Bella." I was nearly shaking with my need for her.

"But I thought that you didn't think it was safe yet." She looked down at me in the dark, the moonlight glistening on her beautiful body above me.

"Well, we'll have to improvise a bit. I don't think it's safe for me to open my mouth fully against you until you're changed. I just have too much venom in my mouth and I'm worried that my teeth will scrape you or I might accidentally bite you. You have no idea how much I want to lick every inch of your beautiful pussy, Bella... I'm just too scared to use my tongue on you until I know it won't hurt you." Having her sitting on me like this was driving me crazy, I could smell her so vividly. She was so close to me.

"Well, how do you want to improvise, then?" she asked, a doubtful look on her face. I smiled broadly up at her and wrapped my hands around her waist, pulling her forward until her delectable hot center was right above my mouth.

"Sit down right here. I want you to use my mouth... my face. Ride me with your delicious cunt." I lowered her slowly onto my lips, doing my best to keep my teeth covered.

"Edward... I don't know if this is going to... Oh, my!" she gasped as I nuzzled into her moist folds, rubbing my cold firm lips back and forth against her swollen clit. "Oh my God!" she moaned, sitting against me more fully. It was my turn to grab onto her hips and pull her into me. I cupped her tight ass and pulled her wet heat onto my face, showing her how I wanted her to move. She soon took over, grinding her dripping pussy against me. All over my lips, my nose, even my chin. She rode my face with increasing pressure, moaning louder with each thrust of her hips. The smell of her was all over me and it was driving me crazy. I could feel from the way she was starting to shake that she would not last very long, so I grabbed her again and moved her until my lips could clamp around her throbbing clit and then I started to growl. The vibrations shook through her and she began bucking wildly, grinding herself even harder against me.

"Oh, Edward! Oh fuck! That feels so... naughty... and... dirty... and... I fucking love it!" she gasped, grinding against me and making me growl even louder. "Oh! Oh fuck! I'm gonna... Edward... I'm gonna... Oh, Edward!" she screamed, shaking violently against me, drenching me in her fluids. I was so turned on that it felt as if my cock would explode at any second. I grabbed her by the waist again and moved her back to my lap, where my throbbing cock was eagerly awaiting her. I reached up quickly and collected as much of her moisture off my face as I could and licked my palm clean, sending shudders through my body.

"Are you done riding me yet, Bella?" I growled out between my clenched teeth. I was worried that I might be acting too rough for her, but she smiled wickedly and reached down, grabbing my shaft and positioning it at her entrance. The sight of her doing that was so erotic that I moaned loudly. "That's it, baby. Sit down on me." She slowly lowered herself onto my cock, inching down slowly, letting her body stretch to fit me. She paused, and after a moment she looked me deep in the eyes and dropped her full weight onto me, sinking down the full length of my shaft in one hard thrust. We both cried out in startled ecstasy.

"Oh, Edward! You feel so good... so _right_ inside me," she moaned, moving her hips and sliding herself up and down my cock. I could feel her walls tightening on me, milking me, making me want to weep from the perfect beauty of how she felt.

"Yes... Bella, oh yes! Don't stop, baby," I held onto her hips, thrusting up inside her, sheathing myself completely inside my beautiful wife. I started pumping harder, wanting to get as deep inside of her body as was physically possible. I realized that I was starting to grip her rather tightly, and not wanting a repeat performance of the last time's bruises, I grabbed onto her and flipped her over quickly until she was on her back looking up at me and I was still seated deep inside her. "Wrap your legs around me, Bella." I was pulled even deeper into her as her legs wrapped around my waist. I let go of her hips and reached up, grabbing onto the headboard of the bed. I knew that I wasn't going to last much longer and I needed something other than her fragile body to hold onto for leverage. I looked into her eyes and started thrusting, going a little deeper each time.

"Edward! Yes! Oh fuck!" she cried, bucking her hips back into me. "Harder... Edward... fuck me harder, please!"

"I don't want to hurt you, baby. You have to let me know if it starts to hurt too badly." I panted, deepening my thrusts and using more force. _So wet so tight so perfect mine mine MINE MINE MINE! _

"Harder... Oh Edward, yes! That's so fucking good! Don't stop, please!" I drove into her body, feeling her muscles clamp down on me, squeezing me, begging me for everything I had. "I'm coming... Oh, Edward... I think I'm... Oh God! Edward!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as I pounded into her, feeling her squeeze my cock with her climax. A great flood of moisture began coating me. _Oh fuck so wet so fucking wet so tight so amazing mine mine my wife my wife MINE MINE MINE! _Hearing her scream my name and feeling her body convulse around me sent me over the edge.

"Bella!" I growled. I clamped my hands down on the headboard roughly, hearing a loud crack somewhere in the distance. Feeling my body tighten up until it snapped, I pumped my seed deep inside of her welcoming body. I thrust a few more times, riding out my orgasm until my ears stopped ringing, knowing that I was done but not wanting to leave her amazing warmth.

I had done it. I hadn't even once had the urge to bite her. When I looked at Bella she was fading fast, already drifting off to sleep in her exhaustion. I leaned down and kissed her softly.

"Thank you, Bella," I whispered against her lips, not sure if she could hear me and not caring. "Thank you for loving me."

I looked up above her and saw with no little humor that the headboard was in splinters.

_Note to self: Buy Esme a new bed._

**A/N: So, whatcha think?? Please please PLEASE review!!! I know it wasn't as long as the last one, but hopefully there will be more soon!**


	7. The Other Boot

Thanks for being so patient for this update!! It has taken me forever to get enough free time to write this! I hope it was worth the wait!

Disclaimer: Stephenie owns it. Otherwise I'd have her money. And Edward.

Blood and Lust 7 – The Other Boot

The next week was absolutely perfect. In my very long life, I could never have imagined being so happy.

We continued hiking and snorkeling and everything that we had been doing before, but with one little difference.

That difference being that we spent nearly twelve to fifteen hours of each day in bed.

It wasn't all sex, mind you. Bella slept quite a bit, for hours and hours at a time, actually. I would lay there and hold her closely, keeping her cool with my body pressed against hers, admiring the lovely view of my beautiful wife in slumber.

Whenever she would wake up I would ask if she was ready to go out and face the day. But then she would look at me, and she would get that look in her eye and that all-too-familiar smirk would appear. I would know then that it would be at least a few more hours until we would be going _anywhere._

Not that I minded one bit.

Our lovemaking was starting to become second nature to us, and for that I was greatly relieved. The first few times I had been relying heavily on Esme's poor, tortured headboard and anything within biting range. However, I found that the more I became accustomed to being with Bella in that way, the less I needed my 'crutches'. I had learned different ways to position my body and my hands during the act that kept from marking her fair skin with bruises like the first time. This usually led to fairly gentle loving on my part, always holding that last primal edge back, but I was happy to do what I could if it meant that we could be successful at this.

Thankfully, no matter how many times Bella begged me to go 'harder,' I was still able to give her as much as her fragile human body could take without even coming close to my limits. I think that Bella vaguely suspected that I was holding something back from her. She always enjoyed herself immensely, but not without worrying about my own enjoyment as well.

"I don't like to see that strained, controlled look on your face, Edward," she had said after the last time we made love, our pulsing bodies still intimately joined. "I wish that you could just let go. Let go like I can."

How could I fully explain that I _was_ holding back, but that I was _happy_ that I was able to?

_Well, Bella, if I fucked you as hard as I could, I would literally rip you apart._ No. Not the best answer.

I leaned down and kissed her softly, reaching up and stroking her damp hair out of her face. When I met her expectant gaze I chuckled lightly.

"You are a greedy little human, do you know that? Just be thankful that we can at least have this, alright?"

"But Edward-" I stopped her with a cool fingertip to her lips.

"But nothing, Bella. I'm _proud_ of that last little bit of control. It's the only way that I can let you enjoy _thisss..._" and with that, I ground my renewed erection deeper into her moist flesh.

Yeah, that got her mind off of it. We didn't get up for another three hours after that.

…...................................................

The next morning, we actually ventured outside the bedroom before midday.

Bella had mentioned wanting to do more swimming, and I remembered the most perfect hidden beach that I knew she would just love. Bella didn't understand why I wanted to take her so far away to swim, since we were already surrounded by the ocean, but this place seemed even more secluded and magnificent, and I couldn't wait to share it with her.

I carried Bella on my back and ran to the other side of the island, around the cliff's edge and through a narrow path among the rocks. Just as I was about to second guess myself, thinking I'd made a wrong turn somewhere, the pathway opened up to reveal the most unbelievable clearing. I heard Bella gasp behind me as we made our way further towards the water's edge.

"Oh, Edward!" she cried.

"Do you like it?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Why it's just... it's just so... breathtaking!"

I lowered her to the ground and we walked hand in hand together around the clearing, taking in all of the amazing scenery. It was even lovelier than the last time I'd been here. There were tall ferns and palm trees scattered everywhere, mixed with the most glorious shades of wildflowers. In the middle of it all sat the beach. It was not enormous, it was not terribly deep, but it was the clearest, purest water I'd ever been in and it was perfect for light swimming.

"How's this for a spot?" I asked her as I made my way onto the sand, laying out a blanket for our things.

"Perfect. Like this place." She smiled and met my gaze. "Like you." She stood up on her toes to reach my lips in a tender kiss, and when she pulled away there was a huge grin on her face. "Last one in is a rotten egg!" and with that she was gone, ripping at her clothes and kicking off her shoes, leaving a trail in the sand before diving into the crystal water completely nude.

"I could have easily beaten you, you know," I said matter-of-factly as I slowly removed my clothes, watching her bob in the water.

"Hardly! I completely took you by surprise, admit it!" she yelled back at me. I kicked off my slacks, walked to the water's edge and dove in head first, only to reappear by her side in less than a second.

"I think we both know who's faster here, Bella. Surprise had nothing to do with it. I just wanted to watch you run naked." I grinned wickedly at her.

"Oh! Why you little-" she paid me back by splashing me in the face. I splashed her back, which brought on the most adorable giggles from her. We played lightly back and forth like that for a while before settling into a nice, lazy swim. Before too long, Bella decided that she was hungry... again... and made her way back to where I had left our basket of food.

"Already?" I teased her from the water.

"Leave me alone! I can't help it if you make me work up an appetite!" She sauntered over to the blanket and sat down, droplets of water cascading down her naked body. As I waded there in the water, I was transfixed with the sight of her flushed breasts, the rosy peaks looking even darker and more mouth-watering to me. As I studied them longer, I noticed that they appeared a bit plumper than they had before... more full.

I almost teased her again about all of her eating starting to show, but somehow I didn't think she would appreciate that joke. She would think that I was calling her fat, and she was anything but. It certainly was making a difference, though.

_All of that eating is going straight to her luscious tits._ Yes. Yes it was.

_Hehehe... me likey._ Yes. Yes I did.

I watched as she dug through the basket, settling on a bowl of fresh fruit salad that I had made for her that morning. She opened the container and dug in, stopping briefly to moan around the spoon with her eyes closed.

_She makes that sound every time she has something she likes in her mouth._ Alright, that's enough of that talk.

As she placed another large spoonful between her lips, some of the juice spilled over her bottom lip, trailed down her chin and dripped onto her left breast. She swiped up the errant juice with her fingertip, raising it slowly to her mouth. I watched her flick her pink tongue against the droplet, then suck her fingertip into her mouth, making that satisfied moan again.

_She keeps that up, I'm gonna **really** give her something to suck on._ Erm... I can't really argue with that.

After two more moan-filled spoonfuls with her eyes closed, I had decided that I'd had enough. And so had my painful erection. I walked towards her slowly, like a lion after its prey, rising out of the water and letting it fall down my body as I left wet footprints in the gritty sand.

Bella opened her eyes, took one look at me and dropped her bowl in the sand, her mouth agape.

"Oh.. My... God!" she cried, her eyes raking over every inch of my exposed flesh.

"What?" I asked in surprise, looking down, trying to see what would cause such a reaction. Nope. Nothing out of sorts there.

"So... _beautiful!_ Oh, Edward, that's just not fair!" Her eyes continued up and down my torso, settling on a certain body part that she had become quite familiar with lately.

"Bella, you've seen me naked, what's the big deal?" I honestly didn't know what was making her act this way when she had spent more time with me undressed since we had gotten to the island than clothed.

"Big deal?!" she cried, looking dumbstruck. "So... breathtaking... the sparkling! Oh God, the sparkles! Edward..." she pointed at my cock, now standing at full attention and illuminated by the sunshine, "that is the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen in my entire life! You put De Beers to shame with those sparkles. You're like my own private diamond mine!"

I ducked my head a bit, feeling slightly embarrassed by her comments. I knew she liked what she saw, but I wasn't used to having such a thorough inspection in broad daylight.

"I told you that I sparkled everywhere, Bella. Did you forget?"

"Oh I remember, Edward. It's just so... so much more glorious than I had pictured. I didn't think that was possible." The last came out in a dazed whisper.

She raised her gaze to my face and I recognized the look in her eyes. I ducked my head again, my predatory instincts having been derailed at her outburst. I looked down and kicked the sand with my toe, suddenly feeling like the hunted rather than the hunter.

"Edward?" Barely a whisper.

"Yes?"

"Come. Here." More gruffly now.

I hesitated briefly, beginning to enjoy the look of desperation that was growing on her features.

"Now!" She all but barked.

I decided not to press my luck any further or else she would find a way to get back at me later. Bella's paybacks were definitely a bitch.

I closed the distance between us, watching her scramble to her knees as I reached the edge of the blanket she was on. As she stared up at my body, I glanced down at her luscious tits again, my gaze traveling up to her full lips. We were both panting when our eyes met again.

"Edward... I don't understand any of this... why I am so needy for you. All I know is that I _have_ to have you again. _Now_. I am hurting for you." She moaned the last few words, looking back and forth between my eyes to the now very rigid (and very sparkly) erection in front of her.

I don't know what came over me. I don't know if it was the fact that we were outside, completely naked, and the whole encounter felt slightly dirty; or if it was the sight of my lovely wife, kneeling in front of me, practically drooling for my cock. I'm going to wager a guess that it was a combination of both. Whatever the cause, something made me growl deep within my chest and close the gap between us.

The predator had returned in all of its glory.

I took my hand and grabbed my aching member, jutting my hips towards Bella's hypnotized face. I watched, mesmerized, as I rubbed the swollen tip of my cock against her cheek. She froze in place, surprised at my actions but not wanting to stop them. I slowly drug the tip across the surface of her soft flesh, tracing patterns that gradually began to circle towards her lips. She closed her eyes and let out a tortured groan, her mouth parting slightly in agonized anticipation. When I caught sight of her slick tongue, I knew that I couldn't tease her much longer. I began sliding the tip along the rim of her mouth. I could feel the silky texture of her lips as my cool skin slipped against her scorching hot flesh.

"If you love my dick so much, Bella, why aren't you sucking it?" I felt so primal with her like this... I didn't even recognize my own voice. I couldn't believe that I had actually just said that. We had played with dirty talk, but I had never been quite so commanding with her before.

Something told me that Bella liked it.

Her eyes shot open and they were liquid fire. I heard her breathing become labored and her heart rate began to skyrocket. She locked eyes with me again and slowly opened her mouth wider. I slipped the broad head of my cock between her lips and thrust forward slowly, watching as it penetrated her mouth more deeply.

She wrapped her lips and tongue around my shaft tightly, moaning so deeply that I felt it vibrate through my entire body. Her hands snaked up around my hips and clamped onto my ass, pulling me hungrily into her mouth. She looked up into my eyes as she started moving faster, bobbing her head up and down, pulling me closer to release.

"Yessss.... that's my good girl. You like that don't you?"

She moaned emphatically in the affirmative and increased the pressure, still looking up at me through heavy lids.

"Make me come for you, Bella. Show me how much you need me."

_Who the hell was I right now? Where was mild mannered Edward?_

I was beginning to care less and less as Bella began sucking harder, causing me to thrust deeper into her eager mouth. I reached out and wrapped my hands around the back of her head, fisting them into her chestnut hair. I felt my muscles starting to tighten up and knew that I was painfully close.

"Oh... God... Bella I am going to come for you now. Do you want that?" She nodded and moaned again. "I want you to swallow every single drop. Can you do that for me?" More nodding, followed by a deep groan so powerful that its vibrations sent me plummeting over the edge.

_Oh fuck! Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!!!_

I was rocked with a violent orgasm, causing me to shake and convulse, spurting my release down her hungry throat.

I felt so shaken and weak that I quickly dropped to my knees in front of her before I fell down. Still holding the back of her head, I pulled her to me in a feverish kiss. I could taste myself on her lips and it only fueled my desire for her. I dropped my hands to her shoulders and gently but firmly shoved her backwards, following after her to the ground.

"That... was... amazing!" I panted against her mouth in between kisses.

Bella kissed me back hungrily, raking her nails down my back, eliciting feral growls from me. We had never been so animalistic before, and while it was an enormous turn on, it was almost frightening in its intensity. When I felt her wrap her legs around my hips I stopped, pulling away from her before I could be distracted.

"Edward? What are-" she gasped against my fingers that I had placed against her mouth.

"No no... not just yet. I'm not done with you yet, Bella."

I continued kissing down her neck, then to her breasts, stopping to worship each taut peak with my mouth before moving further down her body. When I reached the apex of her thighs I slid my hands between her knees and pulled them apart roughly. I had reached another kind of frenzy, one that would not be sated until I tasted Bella on my lips.

I slid my hands up her inner thighs, bringing my thumbs to her sex and spreading her wide open for easier access.

_Beautiful._

Bella had the most beautiful pussy.

And the most delicious.

I buried my face between her legs, inhaling her scent so deeply that it was absorbed into my skin. I rubbed my mouth roughly over her slick flesh, opening my lips long enough to suck her clit between them.

"Oh God!" Bella screamed.

I continued to suck and pinch her clit between my lips, reveling in the moans that I was causing. She had drenched my lips with her juices and I was absolutely starving for a better taste. I pulled away from her slightly, stopping to lick her honey from my lips.

It just wasn't enough.

I looked at her swollen folds, still spread wide open by my thumbs. She was more ripe than the fruit she had been eating, her juices flowing freely, her inner thighs slick with need.

_So wet... so delicious... so... MINE._

I wanted to taste her fully. I _needed_ to taste her.

_Dare I?_

I quickly took stock of my body and my emotions, and while I was nearly insane with lust and my cock was as hard as the diamonds Bella constantly talked about, there was no venom present. There was the normal amount that lubricated my tongue like saliva, but not the overabundance that was usually flooding my mouth by now.

I had licked her skin before... she had been safe. No harm done, right? This flesh was certainly much more delicate, but if I were careful enough... I just might be able to make this work.

_Don't. Don't risk it. You can wait._ Yes... Patience. I can be patient.

I slid my thumbs down the length of her, bringing them together at her slick opening. I watched as I slipped both thumbs inside her slowly, feeling her muscles tense around me, loving the lusty moans I was dragging from her. I pulled them back, almost to the edge, only to shove them back in again more firmly, making her spasm.

"Oh! Oh, Edward!" she cried out.

"Do you like that, Bella?" I growled from between her thighs, still thrusting my thumbs inside of her, not able to tear my eyes away from her tight flesh gripping me.

"Oh... yesssss!" she moaned.

I continued, watching my hands bringing her to pleasure, staring intently at my honey-coated thumbs. Entranced, I didn't notice when I began growling louder and licking my lips. All I could hear was a constant repetition in my head.

_So wet... so tempting... so delicious..._

_So wet... so tempting... so delicious..._

I was brought out of my trance by the feel of hot, delicate fingers sliding through my hair. I drug my eyes from my task and looked up, meeting Bella's hot gaze just as her hand settled on the back of my head.

"Bella?" I panted, drunk on her scent. Her eyes had become molten chocolate, her pupils dilated with need. There was a dark flush radiating from her face that traveled down the length of her torso. When she saw the question in my eyes, she began applying more pressure to the back of my head, pulling me towards her swollen folds.

"Lick it, Edward. Lick me. I can't take this anymore. I need to feel your mouth on me right now. I trust you."

_OK, fuck patience._ Agreed.

I let her pull me to her, inhaling deeply, burying my face in her wet heat. I nuzzled at her slick flesh, loving the feel of her hand on my head, never having seen Bella so demanding before. It was an enormous turn on.

Never stopping my hands from thrusting inside her, I took one soft, tentative swipe with the flat of my tongue.

_There is a Heaven. I've just found it._

Neither of us were expecting the violent growl that ripped from my chest, but I wasn't about to stop now. I went to work in earnest, licking her firmly, sliding my tongue along every tender fold. Bella was already shaking before I landed on the tight bundle of nerves that was calling to me. I flicked repeatedly with the tip of my tongue against her clitoris, still shoving at her with my thumbs, rocking her entire body under me as she ground back into me even harder.

_So perfect... amazing... better than I had imagined... MINE!_

"Oh, fuck! Oh... Edward! That feels too fucking good to be legal!" Bella now had both of her hands fisted into my hair, pulling me into her with more strength than I knew she possessed, grinding her pussy against my mouth and hands.

_What the fuck did you ever do to deserve this amazing wife? So sexy and lusty and innocent at the same time._ I don't know, but shut up, you're distracting me.

I kept at her, growling and devouring her, until I felt the deep shudders begin to take over her body.

_That's it, baby. Come for me. All over me. I want to drink it up._

"Oh... oh, God.... Edward... I'm... God, it feels like I'm dying!" Bella cried out before letting out the most vulgar streak of curse words that I'd ever heard her say, followed by the most delectable convulsions that nearly lifted me off the ground. I held on tightly, however, pulling my thumbs away from her and replacing them with my long tongue, sliding inside her to suck away at her juices.

_Fuck! Nothing is better than this!_

I was so engrossed in what I was doing that I couldn't stop. I kept at her again and again, drinking every drop she had to offer, coaxing one orgasm after another. This was almost as hypnotizing as her blood to me.

Through my lust-fueled haze I began noticing a sound that was even louder than Bella's cries. A pounding, thumping sound. A sound that I was all too familiar with. Bella's pulse was pounding, drumming loudly in my ears. So loudly. I glanced to the side, where the drumming was loudest, only to be greeted by a dear old friend.

_Thump. Thump._ So thick and blue. So beautiful. _Thump. Thump._

_Thump. Thump._ The artery was throbbing, calling to me. _Thump. Thump._

_Bite. Bite._ So... delicious. _Bite. Bite._

_Bite. Bite._ One little bite. _Bite. Bite._

_You could drink your fill and then turn her. You'd both win. _

That was actually starting to sound appealing right about now.

_No! Wake up, idiot!_

I snapped out of it, pulling away quickly. I felt the venom pooling in my mouth and was thankful that I had moved in time. Bella, shocked to be pulled away so abruptly from another orgasm, looked up to find me sitting back on my haunches with my eyes closed.

"Edward? What's wrong?"

"Shh!" I spat out through clenched teeth, willing myself into submission.

_Four. Five. Six. _

"Why are your eyes closed?" she whispered.

_Seven. Eight. Nine._

_Calm down. Calm down. Calm down._

_Ten. _

I opened my eyes slowly. Bella was looking up at me, a questioning look on her face. I glanced down at her flushed body, watching as the dark blue outlines finished fading away. My vision was still a bit foggy with lust, but I could tell now that it was back to good old fashioned _sexual_ lust, and that made me happy.

"Are you OK, Edward?" Her face was starting to cloud with worry. I met her gaze and smiled broadly at her.

"Yes, love. All good. I just needed to collect myself for a moment. That was... intense."

"You think?" she giggled. "That was so amazing, I think I'm still coming!"

"Oh, really? Is that so?" I smirked and raised an eyebrow at her. Her statement drew my attention back to the fact that she was writhing naked beneath me, and my cock was still painfully hard, leaking with need. I looked her in the eye and gave her the best dazzle face I could muster in my state of arousal.

"Turn over." I saw the question in her eyes. "On all fours, Bella. Now."

_If she can be demanding, then so can I. _

She scrambled to her knees, eager to please. It was impossible to miss the rush of heat that shot through her features.

_My naughty girl likes this, too._

She leaned forward on her hands, lifting her backside towards me and arching her back, looking back over her shoulder in the most seductive invitation I had ever seen in my life.

_Holy fuck! Okay... gentle. Remember gentle. Only as strong as she can handle._

I grabbed her hips and pulled her back to me, as roughly as I dared. It was hard to keep safety at the front of my mind when we were both acting so feral and primal. I positioned myself at her dripping entrance, so swollen and pink, begging for me. I stayed there for a moment, teasing her, letting her feel the slick tip of my cock brushing against her.

"Edward!" she groaned loudly.

"What do you want, Bella? Say it."

I glanced back up to her face where she was still looking at me over her shoulder. She took a deep breath and licked her lips, seeming to debate about what to say. I ground against her again, barely slipping the tip inside before pulling it back out.

"Oh, God!" she moaned, her eyes closing at the sensation.

"C'mon, Bella. What do you want? If you couldn't tell, I'm more than happy to give it to you." I slipped into her again, trying to decide who I was torturing more when I pulled back out.

Her eyes flew open and locked onto mine.

"I want you to fuck me, Edward. Hard. Rough. NOW!"

_Jesus Christ!_

It was one thing to _think_ you knew what you wanted to hear. It was another thing entirely to actually _hear_ it.

I slammed myself inside her to the hilt in one thrust. We both cried out at the suddenness of it. I set a steady pace, thrusting deeply, feeling frantic. The feel of her tight, wet heat surrounding me finally after so much foreplay was almost more than I could handle.

_Slower. Slow down. Take your time._

"Faster, Edward! Oh, God... hurry!" she groaned, and I could feel her muscles already tightening around me and starting to squeeze.

_OK, well... go slow next time._

I gripped her hips even harder, trying not to bruise, and started pulling out further before sliding back in tightly. I wanted nothing more than to grab her by the back of the hair and fuck her into oblivion, but I was so keyed up right now that I just couldn't trust myself to hold back, especially not after almost biting her earlier.

I reached forward and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her back up against my chest. Bella reached back behind my head and pulled my mouth down to hers, kissing me roughly. I slid my hands around the front of her body, gripping onto her left breast with one hand while slipping the fingers of my other hand into her wet heat, all while I continued to thrust inside her. As I was touching her, I slipped my hand down to where we were connected.

_Oh, God. _

It was one of the most erotic things I'd ever felt. I pulled away long enough to grab Bella's hand and bring it back to where mine had just been. I covered her hand, guiding her, sliding our fingers down until we both were spread around my cock as it moved inside her.

"Can you feel that, Bella? Do you feel our connection?"

"Yesssss..... oh, yes.... oh... Edward!" she panted against my lips.

At that moment we were both gone. We were staring deeply into each other's eyes, our hands joined around our joined bodies. It was so overwhelming that we both began climaxing. Her body began to clamp down on mine, squeezing harder than I'd ever felt before, and I was powerless to do anything other than cry out while I spurted deep inside her.

I barely noticed the pounding blue vein that was throbbing on her neck, right below my hungry mouth.

_Barely. _

…...........................................................................................................................................

We laid there together for a while on the blanket, soaking up the sun and just enjoying the feel of each other. Bella amused herself by tracing patterns against my chest, and I was so content that I felt I could have actually fallen asleep.

"You look happy, Edward. I like it. You don't look happy enough," Bella murmured sleepily against my skin.

"I am happy, darling. Being able to be with you this way... it's more than I ever dared to dream of."

"Well, I'm curious." She turned to face me, raising up and leaning on my chest, her soft hair falling down in waves over my skin. "Why don't you look this happy more often? We've been carrying on this way for the better part of a week now, but this is the first time I've seen that absolutely peaceful look on your face."

"Well... it's complicated."

"I think I can keep up," she smiled sarcastically, throwing my own words from so long ago back at me.

"I guess... I think I'm always waiting for the other boot to drop."

"Why? What makes you feel like that?" her brow furrowed, making the cutest wrinkle between her eyes.

"It's no secret that I've always worried about what might come of this. I've never truly felt that I deserved this kind of happiness. I just can't fathom a world where not only do I find happiness, but am able to keep it, too. This has been so amazing... more than I ever let myself hope for. But now I keep wondering, you know... what next? When's the other boot going to drop?"

She leaned forward and kissed me softly, stroking her fingers down my cheek.

"Edward... I wish you didn't have such a grim outlook. I can't imagine anything coming between us now. This has worked out far better than anything I could have hoped for, too. I know what you mean about being nervous, but as long as I am able to spend eternity with you... there just _is no_ down side."

"Thank you, Bella. I hope you know that I feel the same. No matter what comes... if I can keep you with me, it will be OK."

"Can I tell you something, Edward? Something that makes me feel like this is going to be more than OK?" She peered up at me with wide eyes, almost looking bashful.

"What's that?" I was enjoying the look on her face so much that I almost missed what she said.

"Remember my dream the other night?"

"Are you referring to the fictitious dream that you used to seduce me?" I teased.

"Hey! That was not fictitious! It was one of the most vivid, beautiful things I have ever dreamt."

"OK, I'll bite. What about your dream?"

"Well..." she looked up at me through her lashes. "This is it. Us right now. Exactly. We were on a beach I'd never seen before, naked and cuddling and making love. It was absolutely perfect. And you are making it a reality right now. If that's not a sign of 'meant to be' than I don't know what is."

I kissed her gently, holding her close.

"Bella, that's beautiful. Thank you for sharing that with me."

I ran my fingers through her long hair, brushing it back off of her face. I peppered tiny kisses along her forehead, down her cheek, settling on her mouth. She kissed me back slowly, building up the heat between us as she moved her mouth against me. We began to tangle our limbs together in an attempt to get as close as possible to each other, ending with me finally rolling her over and pinning her beneath me.

I sheathed myself inside her in one slow movement.

_And just like that... I'm home again._

We were much lazier about things this time, with slow movements and tender caresses. Bella wrapped herself around me, holding me close, running her hands up and down my back and through my hair. Our bodies moved together for what seemed like hours, satin sliding against marble.

This time, when we climaxed together, nobody screamed.

Bella wept.

Since I couldn't physically share them, I kissed her tears away and whispered, "I love you."

…................................................................................................................................................

Later that night, while she slept, I left Bella a note and excused myself to do a bit more hunting. Although I was proud of myself for being able to stop and calm down, I didn't like that I still felt the urge to bite her at random times. I knew that it was just in my nature, and that we were being more primal than we had ever been before, so I probably should have expected it.

I had loved how responsive Bella had been today. She had been just as turned on as I was by our little bit of rough play. Part of me longed to really show her just how rough I could be, but I knew that it would have to wait until she was turned.

_Are you actually looking forward to it, now?_

Well... no... but if she _has_ to be turned... we might as well make the most of it, right?

_Mmmm hmmm.... sure... that's all. You couldn't possibly be excited about having your wife at your side forever._

Oh shut up.

I hunted through the night, making sure that I was good and full before I went back to the house in the early morning. As soon as I walked in the door I knew that something was wrong. Bella was sleeping on the couch instead of the bed, for one thing. Second, I could smell that she had recently been sick.

_Dammit! I should have been here to keep her cool. She worries when I'm not nearby._

I picked her up and carried her back to bed, angry with myself for not having an air conditioner installed. She'd been so tired lately, it wouldn't take anything to make her sick from heat stroke. She started to wake as I neared the room, and before I could apologize fully she started pushing at me violently until I set her down.

"Excuse me!" she gasped, streaking for the bathroom.

"Bella? What's wrong?" I was worried now, holding her hair out of her face while she was sick again.

She told me that she thought it was food poisoning from some rancid chicken she'd eaten.

_Rancid chicken?_

I only stocked the freshest produce in the kitchen for us. If something had turned I would have noticed it way before she would.

I made her lay down for a while, and after she felt better and begged for more food I fed her again. We were relaxing in front of the tv, taking it easy, when she suddenly got that look on her face again and ran to the kitchen sink.

_Something is not right here._

I held her hair again, knowing that she was mortified that I was witnessing this. It was ridiculous to me, because she was my wife and I was supposed to take care of her when she was sick. The only bad thing about being in a family of vampires for ninety years... nobody ever _got_ sick. I really didn't know what to do but feel useless. If only she would let me comfort her, at least then I might feel as if I had done some good.

She made an excuse about going to brush her teeth in the bathroom and shut the door, effectively shutting me out. I heard her rummaging around the bathroom looking for something. When everything got quiet I tried to see if she would talk to me about this rather than just be embarrassed.

"Bella? Can I _please_ come in?" I couldn't keep the worry from my voice.

"O...kay?" she mumbled through the door.

I walked in to find her sititng on the floor by her open suitcase, holding something. I dropped to my knees in front of her and put my hand to her forehead."

"What's wrong?"

"How many days has it been since the wedding?" she whispered.

_What the?? Has she lost it?_

"Seventeen. Bella, what is it?" I was getting frustrated with her question when she held up a finger to shush me and started mouthing numbers to herself, counting.

"Bella! I'm losing my mind over here!" she cut me off my holding up a small blue box in front of my eyes. Tampons.

"What? Are you trying to pass this illness off as PMS?" I was starting to get angry. She was seriously sick and refused to admit it.

"No," she choked out. "No, Edward. I'm trying to tell you that my period is five days late."

I froze. _What?!_

"I don't think I have food poisoning." She went on to gush about other things, but I didn't really register anything after _'five days late.'_

_The other boot just dropped. _

Please review!!! I am dying to know what you thought of this! (just remember, I have said from the beginning that this was going to be as CANON as possible. If you are a BD hater, that's fine, but that doesn't change canon. I might write a different outcome for our kinky kids in an AU fic in the future, but now I'm trying to stay as close as possible)


	8. Divided

Sorry for the long gap between updates! This took me forever to piece together with little bits of free time!

This chapter, for those BD haters out there, is spending a lot of time on issues that most of you hate. I hope you don't skip it altogether, because I think there was definite need of EPOV during those times, but to each his own. I will say that this came off WAY more angsty than I have ever written, and there are actually no lemons. (I know, I'm beside myself!) I am trying to work through these issues quickly, but Edward won't let me skim everything. I wanted a quick wham, bam, thank you ma'am chappie that touched on all of it so we could get to vampy vamp lovin, but once I started writing so much kept coming out. I think our poor Edward really wanted to get his thoughts out there. He still feels robbed by BD. So who am I to deny Edward what he wants? Hopefully I can finish this topic up in about one more chapter, then get on to the good stuff!

ps: Major shout out to the sexy ladies at the Twigasm Podcast for rec'ing the hell out of this story. They are awesome bitches. You should all run out and listen to every episode!!

Disclaimer: I don't own it. If I did, it would be XXX Rated.

I was supposed to be her protector.

I was supposed to keep her safe.

I had managed to keep her alive through numerous vampire attacks, exposure to hotheaded werewolves, and her own deadly clumsiness.

And now the one thing that was killing her was me.

My disgusting, monstrous lust was the cause of this agony that she was going through.

_Your demon seed is eating her alive. She won't last much longer._

I know.

_Well do something about it, DAMMIT! Get rid of it!_

She doesn't trust me now. I can't make her see reason. She is willing to die for this if it comes to that.

_This is some bullshit right here._

I completely agree.

…..................................................................................................................

And so it went, day after day. Locked away with my horrible thoughts. I had never felt more helpless. I had never felt more useless.

From the second that Bella realized she was pregnant, she began making plans. Plans that either _could_ or _would not_ include me, depending on what my decision was. I don't even think she realized at the time that she had drawn a line in the sand when she had chosen to carry this... this_ thing_ inside of her to term.

Once I had come out of my panic-trance after Bella dropped her bombshell on me, I had foolishly thought that she was as terrified as I was of this unknown evil entity that had taken up residence inside of her body.

_Wrong. _

She was terrified of me.

I only wanted to help her. I wanted to remove this threat before it had the chance to truly harm her. Carlisle was in complete agreement over this. It must be stopped. We had no idea what we were up against, as far as I knew it was unprecedented, and I did not want my wife being a guinea pig incubator for some demonic hybrid.

Things were only made worse when I spoke with Kaure, the cleaning woman. She spoke of legends from the village where she grew up... of filthy vampires who would murder villagers in the night while they slept, while the few pretty women left unharmed soon realized they would face a fate worse than death. I begged her for more information, praying that these women lived through it to raise these horrid creatures.

None lived.

Most died while still pregnant, being leeched dry from the womb. The few that managed to live long enough went on to die vicious deaths during childbirth, most often being ripped apart from the inside out. No one knew what happened to the foul beasts that clawed their way out of the mothers they killed. Some legends said they died as well, while others said they were still out there killing people.

My worst fears had been confirmed. If I did not find a way to end this now, Bella would be killed. I could not even count on turning her to save her. There was no guarantee that her heart would last long enough for my venom to take effect. I couldn't resurrect the dead... only change the dying.

I was more determined than ever to get her home and get that damned _parasite_ out of her.

Bella, on the other hand, was busy making plans of her own. While I thought we were on the same page and both in a hurry to get her back home and take care of things, she was calling in reinforcements.

She called Rosalie.

Rosalie... who had been baby hungry for decades and was strong enough to fight for it.

We had no sooner stepped foot off the plane when Bella ran straight into the arms of Rosalie. Her _new_ protector.

In that instant I saw all of my plans washed away. I slowly made my way over to Carlisle. Alice and Jasper quickly joined us. Alice was silent for once. Jasper was solemn. They both reached out and laid a hand on my back at the same time, thinking what could not be said aloud.

_We're so sorry, Edward._ Then they were gone, grabbing our bags as they appeared at baggage claim.

I didn't need to ask what they were sorry for. They both knew that Bella's fate was grim.

"Is there nothing left that we can do?" I whispered to Carlisle, my voice already sounding flat and lifeless to my ears. We both watched as Bella cried and spoke in panicked bursts, the whole time being cradled... fucking _cradled_... against Rosalie, her newest fucking fan.

"No." A strong voice from behind me. Emmett walked forward and put his arms around the two women. He looked up at me and I could see the resignation in his eyes.

_Dude, don't even make me choose. It will always be Rose. And Bella wants this, too. I can't be a part of forcing them. I'm sorry. _

"No." A more gentle voice. Esme. She walked over and hugged Bella, leaning down and kissing the top of her head. She shot an apologetic glance at me, then directed her gaze beside me to Carlisle. He let out a deep sigh.

"I'm sorry, son. My hands are tied now." He gently patted my shoulder, then walked away to help Alice and Jasper carry our luggage. I knew better. It hurt him to look at us. To see what his family had become.

Divided.

…...................................................................................................................................................

She was wasting away to nothing. Absolutely nothing, right before my eyes.

All I wanted to do was hold her. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and beg her to forgive me for doing this to her. I wanted to beg her to find a way to take me with her if she was going to insist on dying for this. But I couldn't even do that; every time I took one step towards her, fucking _Rosalie_ would hiss at me and glare daggers until I backed away again.

I was always kept away from her. At first I wasn't even allowed in the same room with her, like I would actually willingly harm her. I only wanted to make her see reason. I might beg and plead and cry for her to wake up and realize that this just wasn't worth it, but I would never actually _hurt _my Bella.

I would have been even more offended at Rosalie's actions if I had thought for one minute that Bella was who she was protecting.

_She could give a flying fuck about Bella._

All she cared about protecting was that monster, and that made me Enemy Number One in this house. It was almost two weeks before I was allowed close enough to Bella to really talk with her. We still had our happy little chaperone present at all times, but Bella insisted that I be allowed at her bedside. I was forced to wait until she had relaxed, another insinuation that I was too upsetting to her, and when I was finally granted entrance she had already dozed off.

I walked slowly into the dimly lit room, ignoring the beeps of the numerous monitors that Carlisle had brought from the hospital to try and figure out what we could about our situation. Bella spent most days on the couch downstairs with her feet up, but at night when she slept Carlisle hooked her up in our new little maternity ward that we had created out of a spare bedroom. Rosalie stood watch from the other side of the bed. _Bitch._

So far nothing we had done had been of any help. One thing after the other made absolutely no impact on Bella. Whenever we would try feeding her, even intravenously, she would regain her color briefly only to appear ashen and weak again in a matter of hours. We couldn't even get a good look at the fucking thing because the ultrasound machine could not detect any images through the strange stone-like placenta that had formed inside of her to protect _it. _This thing seemed as strong as our skin, so our darling resident warden-midwife had already formed a plan of attack when it was time.

_She's going to fucking chew her precious cargo out of your wife's dying corpse._

I know.

_And Bella's going to let her._

It would seem so.

_This is seriously fucked up._

Yep.

I stopped at the foot of the bed, letting my eyes roam hungrily over the sleeping form I had craved next to me every day since our return. I ached for her body. Not in a sexual way, although in all honesty I had grown quite accustomed to the bliss we'd had on the island and found my mind slipping away to sun-drenched beaches and wet, slippery skin when the agony became too much to bear. However, at the moment, I craved her touch the way that a plant needs sunlight to grow, or water to drink. I hadn't felt so much as her hand in mine since we'd been back, and knowing that I might not have that much longer with her was making me more than aggravated with our dear, sweet babysitter.

Bella was wearing only a thin shirt and shorts, her covers kicked off hours ago. There was a sheen of perspiration on her skin, and I forced myself to stop remembering the salty taste of it. I let my gaze start at her feet and make my way up her legs, doing a visual inventory of the body I had come to know as well as my own. I knew that I could trace our relationship through the scars I would find.

There was the scar from her broken leg last year. She had hated that cast so much, but when I looked at it I thought of our prom and how beautiful she'd looked.

There was the long line down her forearm. I could still see Carlisle stitching her up in the kitchen. That one immediately made me sad when I remembered leaving her here alone, but then I was also reminded of her selfless act of saving my life with no thought for her own. I always flashed to the moment when I realized that she was really alive... and she was really mine again.

Then there was the one that disturbed me the most. The crescent-shaped scar on her wrist. I knew that it would still feel cool to the touch. This one always upset me, but not because she'd been bitten by James. It disturbed me because every time I looked at it I could taste her blood in my mouth. Fiery Heaven. Ambrosia. Even now my throat was burning at the memory.

_Sweet fire... drinking her up... swallowing her life... taking her inside me the way I ached to be inside her. _Stop it!

I was instantly back to that moment in my mind, huddled over her near lifeless body, pulling her closer and closer. My own body shuddering with angry need, groaning and whimpering as I fought to stop drinking while I rode out climax after climax. Almost tasting her death.

I felt my body responding to the vivid imagery and I immediately fought it back. I had no business being aroused when Bella was in this state, no matter how long it had been or how badly I missed her. It always bothered me to get aroused at that memory, anyway.

I really hated that scar.

I let my gaze finally settle on the last thing I wanted to see. The one thing I hated looking at more than the scar. The large demonic protrusion that was Bella's stomach.

It had grown at an exponential rate. Bella was swollen to the size of a woman nearly six months gone in a matter of weeks. The poor skin that was showing under the edge of her shirt was streaked with dark purple stretch marks and large round bruises. Her flesh just couldn't keep up with the rapid growth, no matter how much cocoa butter Rosalie offered her, and the bruises were actually there from the inside out. _It_ kicked her. Often... and hard.

I stared at the offending lump longer than I ever had before.

_Why did you have to mess everything up?_ I found myself asking it.

_We were happy. We were making it work. And now you're here... and you're killing her. _

_If you somehow manage to live through this... how do I ever love you? You represent everything I hate about myself. I would give anything to be able to blindly love the way she does. Maybe that would help me finally let her go, to love you as a final piece of her. _I thought on that a bit more, unable to lie to myself when I really wished that I could have.

_No. I just can't. You will always be what killed her to me. And it will always be my fault. _

Just then Bella shifted on the bed, drawing my attention to her face. She was looking at me through heavy eyelids, but as she registered who I was I could see the light in her eyes start to glow. A small grin started at the corner of her lips, slowly growing into a beautiful smile. It pained me to see how tired and weak she had become, but I felt a deep, primal satisfaction that she could still look at me with that kind of love. I didn't deserve it... but I would take it. I would take anything she would give me now.

"Hi," she rasped, barely a whisper. "Long time, no see."

"I've been here, Bella. You've seen me."

"I know. But across the room and through the doorway doesn't count." She took a deep breath. Even talking this much seemed to exhaust her at times.

"That wasn't my choice. I hope you know that." I saw a deep sadness pass over her face and I knew that it reflected my own.

"Yes..." she whispered. "I'm sorry about that. Things have gotten a bit out of hand, haven't they?"

"You think?" I wasn't able to keep the acid from my tone. I saw her flinch slightly and immediately regretted it. "Oh, Bella..." I walked around the foot of the bed, closing the distance between us.

"That's close enough, Edward." The icy voice broke through the darkness.

I stopped in my tracks. I had almost forgotten about our babysitter. I spun on my heels and glared at her.

_Fuck off, you cunt! _Yeah. What he said.

"Rosalie..." Bella whispered. "I need to speak with him. Can you please give us some privacy?"

"No way." She glared right back at me with eyes cooler than her voice, willing me to give her any reason to rip my limbs off.

"Come on. You promised. He won't hurt me."

"You said you wanted him here. You never said anything about privacy. Besides, it's not _you_ I'm worried about." Her eyes darted to _the lump._

"Believe me... it will be OK. I can't keep going on like this without him here. I just need a few minutes to speak with him without an audience." Bella wrapped her arms around her belly protectively. "I won't let anything happen, Rosalie."

I could see her deliberate for a moment, then nod her head stiffly.

"Fine." She spat out. "But I'm not going far. And I'm _not_ going out of earshot." She stomped off through the door, but not before throwing one last menacing thought my way.

_If you even try one fucking thing, Edward, so help me God I will end you. _

I rolled my eyes and turned my back on her, letting her know that she had been dismissed. When I turned back to Bella, I found her stroking her belly lovingly. To my astonishment, she began whispering to it.

"Don't worry... it's alright. Auntie Rosalie is just being over-protective of you. She's actually very caring. She already loves you very much. Almost as much as Mommy does." I saw tears spill over onto her cheeks as she spoke. Drawn to her, I stepped closer and reached out my hand, slowly wiping the tears from her eyes. Without thinking, I brought my thumb to my lips, quickly licking away her pain.

_God... I missed the taste of her._

Bella looked up at me and smiled, then patted the bed by her side. I sat down on the very edge of the mattress and turned to face her.

"You're talking to it now?" I said quietly.

"Of course."

"Why?"

"Because I think he can hear. Or she, I guess. Even human babies can hear in the womb, so why wouldn't a vampire baby, with excellent hearing?"

"But you don't know for sure, Bella. You don't even know how lucid this... _fetus_... is. It could very well be more monster than person. Even if it can hear... it may not understand anything you say."

Bella huffed quietly and rolled her eyes.

"Will you please stop saying _it _like that? There is a baby in here. We may not know much about that baby yet, but it is still a living thing. A thing that I love."

"A thing that is killing you." I snapped.

"Edward..." she reached out and took my hand, bringing it up to her lips and kissing my open palm. I tried to ignore how wondrous it felt to touch her again. "It's not intentionally hurting me. I'm just a weak human, that's all. The baby can't help that. Besides... I know this baby can understand what it hears. He was just moving like crazy now."

"So?" I failed to see the significance. "Maybe it was just moving to move, Bella."

"He only moves around like that when something upsetting is going on. I think he was bothered by you & Rosalie. He doesn't like arguments."

"How could you possibly know that, Bella?" She looked at me and sighed, as if she knew any discussion with me would take great patience on her part.

"It's not exactly the first argument that's been going on around here lately, Edward. This entire house is a hotbed for negative emotions. Why do you think poor Jasper can hardly stand to be here anymore? So much doom and gloom. I just think that the baby can hear some of the disagreements and is disturbed by them."

"Bella..." I started to tell her she was acting crazy when she put a hand up to my mouth.

"Wait... I'm not saying that the baby _understands_ every single word already, but I really do think he can tell from the tone of the sounds that they are bad."

"OK," I sighed, "if that's what you believe, Bella, then who am I to correct you?" She rolled her eyes at me, chuckled to herself, then returned her attention to _the lump._

"Daddy thinks he's humoring Mommy, doesn't he, baby? But we know the truth, don't we? Silly Daddy." The last ended on a husky whisper, an audible lump in her throat.

_She has gone absolutely bonkers! What am I gonna... wait a minute! Daddy? Did she actually fucking say Daddy?! _

I did my best to refrain from jumping at the word. It seemed like some sort of sick joke, associating one of my deepest impossible dreams for our relationship with _this._

"Bella..." I cleared my throat, trying to get Bella's attention away from her belly. When she looked back up at me I saw that the tears had returned to her eyes. "What's wrong?" She reached up and held my face between both of her hands. I ignored my body's instantaneous reaction to her touch.

"Oh Edward," she sobbed, "I've just missed you so much! This is scary enough for me as it is, but without you here by my side it's just felt incomplete!" She ran her hands over my features, as if she were taking a mental inventory to make sure that everything was as she had left it.

_God that feels so wonderful! Her hands on my skin again... her fingers stroking my hair... _Focus!

Incomplete is exactly how I had felt until now. Incomplete and...

_Abandoned._ Yes.

"Bella, I am more than thrilled to finally be able to speak with you again, please believe that. But..." I paused, trying to take out any sound of anger before I spoke again. "Why have you let them keep me from you for so long?" It wasn't angry sounding, but the hurt was unmistakable. She took a deep breath and collected herself, sitting up straighter and putting her hands back at her sides, knowing that it was finally time for _the talk._

"Edward, I'm sorry that my actions have hurt you. That was never my intent. I have been in some kind of... autopilot survival mode. Does that make any sense?" She glanced at me quickly to make sure that I was following her. "I am just heartsick over knowing how badly you have been isolated lately, and I hope that one day you will come to forgive me... but you must understand that you hurt me, too."

"Hurt you? How..." I must have looked as befuddled as I felt, because her hands were back on my face again, steadying my shaking head.

"Edward, I understand now just why you are so worried about what is going on, but at the time I was horrified that you had already made the decision to... end things. You were already setting plans in motion, completely without me _or_ my consent."

"But Bella... you weren't thinking straight! It was for-"

"For my own good?" she finished. "Edward... _that_ is why I was terrified and went into survival lockdown. I love you dearly, more than you will ever believe, but you can be more than a little bit controlling when you think you know what's best for me."

"But... I... Bella!" I huffed. "Name me _one time_ when-"

"Really, Edward?" She cut me off, ending in a chuckle to herself. "Do I honestly have to list the times when you've decided what's best for me and acted without my input or consent?"

_She's got you there, asshole._ I thought quickly over all of the gross miscalculations I had made over the last two years in Bella's best interest. Perhaps I didn't have a spotless record.

"Bella, I realize that I may be a bit... pushy at times, but there is no reason that you couldn't have talked to me about this first."

"A bit pushy? Edward, I know that we both have our demands at certain times, but I think it's fair to say that the one who will go to any means necessary to get his way has always been you. Before now I have dealt with it, trying to learn when it's just not worth fighting over. But this?" She suddenly looked very serious again. "This is when I am putting _my_ foot down and leaving it there. I could tell on that last day at the island that you had made your mind up, that you would do whatever it took to make me get rid of this baby. _For my own good._ Regardless of the fact that I wanted him. That terrified me. I knew that you could never be reasoned with while you were in that state of mind, so I took desperate measures to ensure that you couldn't stop me. I'm sorry that I hurt you Edward, but I did what I felt had to be done to protect him." She began stroking _the lump_ again as she finished speaking.

"Protecting _him_?!" I snapped. "Bella, this... this _monster_ is killing you! I can't sit idly by and watch you waste away like this!" I grabbed her hands with my own and stared deeply into her eyes, silently begging her to truly hear me, forcing myself to ignore how she flinched and teared up when I said the word 'monster'. I took a slow, deep breath to steady my nerves. Finally I whispered, letting every ounce of my agony through."Bella... can't you feel yourself dying? Even now, as we speak?"

She sighed, her exhaustion plain on her face.

"I'm just weak, Edward. There's a difference. I know this is scary... I'm fucking terrified. But I need you to understand... well, that may be too much to ask of you. I need to you to _acknowledge_ that this is my choice and I will not be swayed."

"And what about _my_ choice, Bella?" I let go of her hands and reached up to cup her face. She seemed so tiny and fragile like this, more than she ever had, but the fire in her eyes was breathtaking. "I made a choice to spend the rest of my days with you. I promised before God and our families that I would love you and protect you_ forever_. You are cheating me of my chance to do that."

"My heart is strong, Edward," she whispered, staring back into my desperate eyes. "I'm not foolish enough to think I will survive this unscathed, but it will beat until you change me. I know it. You must have faith. Perhaps this is how it was meant to be for us. Maybe we were supposed to be together while I was still human so that we could make this child together. Then you will change me and we will truly start our forever."

I closed my eyes and leaned closer, resting my forehead against hers while still holding her face.

"Bella... I can't base everything I am feeling right now on your fantasies. I have to be prepared for the worst, since you refuse to face facts. Why aren't you more worried?"

She reached her arms around the back of my head and held me to her, moving her thumbs over the corners of my eyelids gently until I opened them again. Her gaze stared back at me, full of an emotion that I hadn't seen up close in weeks. Love.

"Because, silly," she answered. "You worry enough for the both of us. I know what the risks are, but I'm not dwelling on that right now. And even if the worst does happen... I want my last days to be full of love. Love for you. Love for us. Love for the child that we somehow made together, when nothing should have allowed that to be."

"But Bella..." I felt as if a sob could tear from my body at any moment. I knew that no matter how hard I begged her, I was not going to be able to stop this.

"Shh... I don't want to argue any more, Edward. Even talking about this too much upsets me. I just want to spend a few more minutes with you before I fall back asleep. I have missed you so much."

"I have felt ripped apart without you, Bella. Please, don't keep me away any more. I see that I can't change your mind or stop you. This is going to kill me, watching you go through this. But I can't be without you again."

We sat there like statues for a few moments, Bella stroking my hair and looking deep into my eyes with a love that I'd thought was lost to me. I forced myself to push my agony aside long enough to take this small pleasure with her. She wanted to feel my love. She didn't want to argue. I figured that since I was killing her from the inside out, it was the least I could do. I would shut my mouth and try my hardest not to fall apart in front of her from now on.

"Edward... would you please kiss me?"

"Do you think our warden will allow that?" I smiled at her.

"I don't care. I just want to feel something wonderful between us again, and your kisses are magical." She bit her bottom lip and blushed that beautiful shade of crimson, reminding me of so many other times we'd been hiding away in her bedroom and kissing like lovestruck fools. I guess we still were.

_Oh for Christ's sake, Edward, give her what she wants so she'll go back to sleep! She needs her rest._

Well, that answered my question on whether Rosalie had been listening this whole time. _Super Bitch._

I leaned forward slowly, savoring everything about this moment. She smelled wonderful... like Bella, but different. As I searched deeper I realized that she also smelled a bit like me. Our scents had mingled to create something new inside of her. For one brief moment I allowed myself to simply _look_ at her; to believe the lie one would mistake at face value. She was my beautiful wife, swollen large with my child and smelling of me. Truly marked by me in every way possible. The lie was so tempting... so seductive.

_Mine!_

There were parts of me, my more primal side, that wanted nothing more than to believe this lie. It was the most amazing thing I could have ever wished for. I gave myself up to it... for now... for her... for the sake of enjoying her touch again for even one kiss without feeling the deepest despair overwhelming me.

As I brought my lips to hers softly, I immediately felt that electric shock between us. She did too, apparently, by the way that she gasped. I deepened the kiss slowly, tilting my head a bit to fit more fully against her mouth. I stroked my thumbs across her cheeks as I worshiped her lips, eliciting several moans for my efforts.

_Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!_

I had missed her so badly that I underestimated how easily my baser self would jump at this chance with her. My body was wound up tightly, the electricity flowing through me like the blood in her veins was pounding beneath my fingers.

Bella speared her fingers through my hair, tugging and pulling me closer to her. My senses were reeling, I felt completely drunk on her as she parted her lips and quickly flicked her tongue against me. A deep rumble started in my chest and spread throughout my body as I sucked her bottom lip between my teeth, wanting so badly to nibble on her delicious flesh. There was a tiny vein pounding there, right between my lips. I suckled lightly, only to repeat the action on her top lip. Her breathing was ragged and labored and mine sounded the same.

_She tastes so fucking good... I missed her... I need her... I want her!_

I knew that I couldn't have her, she was much too weak right now, but that didn't make my cock throb and pound any less painfully.

"Oh... Edward!" she gasped against my mouth. "Somehow I forgot how sweet you taste!" She held onto me tighter, sucking my lips between hers in the same fashion, only this time she _did_ bite. Hard.

_Fuck yes! So sexy so hot so delicious so MINE! _

I felt her hands roaming all over me while pulling me even closer. I started to lose myself in the kiss again when I felt her hand settle on my erection and squeeze.

I growled loudly and pulled back, breaking the kiss.

"What's wrong?" she asked, out of breath.

Her face was flushed with passion. Her lips were swollen and red. I wanted nothing more than to fuck her senseless and forget every problem facing us, to lose myself in her body and her lust and her love.

But I couldn't... for so many reasons. I chose the most obvious.

"Bella... did you forget that we have an audience?" I jerked my head towards the door, reminding her of our ever-present babysitter. She blushed again, making it obvious that she definitely had forgotten.

"I can't help it, Edward. I lose myself in you."

"I feel exactly the same about you, love, but this isn't the time or place for that. You need your rest and we need more privacy."

_Thank God! I thought I'd have to get a bucket of cold water! _Rosalie was now pacing in the hall.

_Well, you can keep on pacing, smart-ass. I'm not going anywhere until she's asleep. _Sometimes I wished that she could hear my thoughts, too.

"This is definitely _to be continued_, I hope you know," Bella whispered.

_God, I hope so._

"Just lay back and rest for now. I've kept you awake longer than I should have." I pushed her back onto the mattress, smoothing her hair away from her face.

"Stay with me?" She had a hopeful yet doubting look on her face, as if she thought I would storm out of the room at her suggestion.

"Do you really need to ask?"

I laid down next to her on the bed, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and pulling her closer to me. She immediately curled against my body and put her head on my chest. She was asleep within minutes.

My mind wanted to start worrying already, panicking about everything I'd been dwelling on, but I stopped and did nothing but enjoy this feeling of having her in my arms again.

This feeling had a name.

_Home._

Nothing had felt so right in weeks.

Except maybe that kiss.

PLEASE REVIEW!!!! My review numbers are killing me here! I don't live by numbers, but a lot of READERS do. They see the low numbers and think it means crap story. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!


	9. The Lump

Thank you so much for all the wonderful feedback! I appreciate all the kind words.

Now, this chapter is the last dealing with this issue. I am not saying there will be no angst at all in future chaps to come, but these last two nearly did me in. I tried to cover the main events yet still somewhat skim them over. I didn't think we needed a complete rehashing of everything. I just wanted to hit Edward's major reactions to the most important things here. I hope you like it, or at least don't hate it. Oh, and I somehow accidentally managed to sneak in a tiny fragment of a lemony situation here. I have no idea how that happened. *looks around, whistling*

**Disclaimer: I don't own this stuff. If I did, _I'd_ be the one pregnant with Edward's baby. (Or at least Rob's.) **

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Why hadn't I thought of _it_ being thirsty?

_I can't believe the fucking __**mutt**__ saved her life._

Bella had continued to waste away over the next few days, only being hours away from starving to death when Jacob had the thought about the fetus wanting blood. I may have been the one to voice the suggestion, but it was only after hearing his thoughts. Why, in a house full of vampires, had _none_ of us thought of this?

_You really dropped the ball on that one, douche bag. _Shut up. I didn't hear any suggestions from you, either.

It was astounding how fast the color had returned to Bella's skin, how quickly her overall demeanor had improved. Within minutes of her first sip she was sitting up and smiling, the feeling of impending doom all but gone. Well, until I looked at her belly again. Then I felt as if an ominous black cloud had settled over her bed. Well, at least it was one less thing to worry about for now, even if Jacob got the credit.

I was starting to form some kind of bond with the kid, whether I wanted to or not. He, most definitely, did _not_. We were on the same page regarding _the lump_, however, and he seemed to respect me a bit more for not being happy about this situation. As little as I liked him sniffing around after my wife, and I liked her _letting_ him even less, I couldn't ignore the fact that he had risked everything to keep her safe. He was actually protecting us now. Well, protecting _her_. That was enough for me to be forever grateful.

_I don't want to be grateful to him. He's competition. He's a dumb, angry little pup._ Well, too bad. He makes Bella smile, God knows why, but I am not taking that away from her right now.

I had just come back into the house from speaking with him briefly outside when I discovered that Bella had already ordered the living room to be put back as it had been before. She was settled back on the sofa rather than the imposing hospital bed and all traces of machinery and needles had been cleared from sight. She liked things as normal as possible, it made her feel more relaxed.

She didn't hear me as I walked back into the room, and it allowed me a moment to just watch her. Her color looked so lovely now. Just like my Bella. She seemed so much stronger already. She sat stretched out with her feet on the couch, wrapped up in a few quilts. She had her little sippy cup of blood in her hand and was drinking like it was the most delicious milkshake she'd ever tasted. As I went to step towards her she stopped suddenly and gasped.

"Oof!" She pulled the quilts back and touched her round belly, rubbing at a particularly sore spot. "You like that too, don't you baby? I'm so happy that we found something you will eat. Mommy was so worried about you." She took a few more pulls from the straw as she absentmindedly rubbed at her belly. "Oh! You don't need to do cartwheels, though, baby! You should take it easy."

I felt like an outsider, watching _them_ have this moment. They painted such a beautiful picture there, mother and... _child_. I wanted to feel anything other than apprehension and worry, but it was difficult whenever I thought of the pain she had already been forced to endure... not to mention the agony that was yet to come.

I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard Bella begin to hum softly. She was stroking the lump lovingly and humming to herself. I thought I recognized the tune, but I was relieved of guessing as soon as she quietly began to sing.

_Golden slumbers fill your eyes. _

_Smiles awake you when you rise._

_Sleep pretty darling, do not cry._

_And I will sing a lullaby._

"Beatles?" I asked before I could stop myself. She jumped slightly, startled to realize that she had an audience. I saw something then that I had thought would be lost to me forever. Bella blushed.

"Yeah... Renee used to sing it to me when I was a little girl. It always helped me fall asleep." Her blush turned an even deeper shade of crimson. "I thought it might help him settle down a bit. He's been moving like crazy since I... I mean since _we_ started feeling better."

"You never told me that before, about Renee." It was silly of me, but I hated not knowing every possible thing there was to know about her. I've spent hours doing nothing but asking her questions before, which never failed to annoy her. It always baffled her that anyone would be that interested in her.

"I honestly forgot all about it until right now. I'm sorry my singing is so bad." She blushed again.

"Don't be silly, Bella. It was lovely. I don't think I've ever heard you sing before." I moved closer to her, leaning down to softly kiss her on the lips.

"Mmm... thank you. If that's the reaction I'm going to get then I'll start serenading you all day." I saw her shiver, whether it was from my kiss or the coolness of my touch I wasn't sure, but I moved back a bit to be safe.

"You should cover back up, Bella. I want you to be nice and roasty toasty." I pulled the covers back up to her chin, tucking them in around her sides until she resembled some sort of mummy. This started her giggling, and I had missed that sound so much that I nearly smiled. I made to sit on the floor beside her when she stopped me.

"Wait... sit here with me. I'm tired of you always on the floor." She lifted her covered feet up in invitation, motioning with her head that she wanted me to sit there.

"This wouldn't be another ploy for a foot massage, would it?" I smiled at her as I sat down, placing her covered feet in my lap.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I never hint at anything." She looked at me thoughtfully, then at her feet. "Well... would you?"

"I knew it!" I lightly chuckled as I held her feet, softly rubbing through the blankets so that she wouldn't get another chill. I could feel how swollen her feet had become so I tried to work on helping her circulation, circling my thumbs against the balls of her feet until she moaned.

_God I've missed that sound. _

Sitting there with her feet in my lap and hearing her moan was already making my body respond in ways that it had no right to at this place and time. Another loud moan from Bella brought Rosalie rushing into the room.

"What on earth are you two... oh." She looked from my hands on her feet to the pleased look on Bella's face and smiled. "That's good, Bella. Get comfortable." She squatted down crossed-legged on the floor at the other end of the couch, near Bella's head.

_I thought for a second there that I was gonna need to get the hose._ _I mean, she feels better, but not enough for THAT, Edward._ Rosalie nearly sneered during her thoughts, as if she could sense my building arousal that I was already ashamed of.

_I just bet you would, you cock blocking bitch. _I hadn't even done anything and I was getting accusing looks. We were both pulled from our thoughts at the sound of a straw sucking at an empty cup.

"Um... Rose? Would you mind?" Bella sheepishly handed over the cup.

"Of course not! My, that baby is hungry!" She darted off upstairs to refill Bella's warm Cup O' Blood, smug that she had been asked instead of me.

Bella took that opportunity to pull her feet from my hands and drop them to my lap. When I looked up at her questioningly, an evil grin spread across her face and I felt one of her tiny feet start rubbing against my growing erection. I couldn't even speak. I just kept looking between her devilish face and her active foot.

"I thought so," she whispered when I met her gaze again, so light that _I_ barely heard her. Her toes started tracing out the shape of me through my slacks, pushing firmly and circling when she found the tip. I felt my eyes grow large and I started shaking my head 'no', mouthing the word just as Rosalie came back downstairs.

"Here you go, nice and fresh." She handed Bella the refilled cup and resumed her earlier post.

"Thank you so much, Rose," she smiled broadly. I watched as Rosalie turned back around and started flipping through TV channels, seemingly unaware of what was going on under Bella's blankets. Bella began drinking again slowly, never stopping her sneaky movements.

"Stop!" I mouthed to her. This wasn't right... not now, not here.

_But God does it feel right._

"I miss you," she mouthed back, her eyes fogging over with that look that I had become quite familiar with on our honeymoon. I'm pretty sure that look is what got us in this situation. She kept slowly rubbing and rubbing, building up a delicious friction that almost made me forget where I was.

Thankfully, Jacob chose that moment to come back and apprise us of all that had happened during his meeting with his old pack. I had hoped that Bella would stop her ministrations, but she didn't even hear him until I broke away from her gaze and looked at him, unable to keep the dumbfounded, lust induced grin off my face. She looked up and smiled at him, but never stopped.

Yes, Jacob... that's great Jacob... uh huh, yep... I heard all of that...

_What would he say if he knew his little angelic dream girl was stroking you off with her foot right in front of him? _This is so fucking wrong. I can't even process how wrong this is.

When Jacob looked away at one point to try and rile Rosalie with another dumb blonde joke, Bella took that opportunity to start licking at her straw quite seductively while giving me _the look_. She would run it over her lips and around her mouth, and I was instantly back on the island in my mind, with her kneeling in front of me and letting me rub my cock all over her lips.

All the while she kept on... stroking... rubbing.... gripping?

_She's got fucking monkey toes! _That's new.

What the hell had gotten into her? She'd been baiting me all day, ever since she started feeling better. It hadn't been five minutes after she'd even been able to sit up properly on her own before she was making private jokes about eggs and winking at me.

I heard Jacob leaving, so I chuckled at his stupid joke and tried to pretend like I had even heard it. As soon as he was out the door, Bella took a long slow pull on her straw, trying to add to the seduction. When she swallowed, she realized that she had taken in more than she could handle. Her eyes got big and her cheeks puffed out slightly, and before she could fight it all down one long, thick drop of blood spilled over her lips and ran down her chin.

I froze, staring at the fluid. I felt my cock throb painfully. I had never once imagined that seeing Bella drinking blood would be erotic, but this just threw my lust into overdrive. Seeing my reaction, she slowly reached up with her finger and wiped it away, looking at me as she sucked it deep between her lips and made one final, strong stroke with her foot.

_Oh fuck! _

The orgasm ripped through my body, completely unbidden and uncontrollable. I jumped up, terrified of the violent images flooding my mind. My lip hurt where I had bitten it to keep quiet and my erection wasn't flagging as quickly as I wanted it to.

"Where are you going?" Bella called after me, upset at having her little game ended so abruptly. I had to get away from her for a few minutes. I was honestly scared of what I might do. It didn't help that I hadn't hunted in days.

"There was something I forgot to tell Jacob," I lied quickly, more for Rose's benefit than Bella's; Bella already knew what had happened, just not why I was so startled.

"Let Jacob sleep – it can wait."

"It will only take a minute," I said, running out the door with my shirt untucked and my hand in my pocket, trying to hide my uncooperative hard on. I heard Rosalie's thoughts as I was closing the door.

_Jeez... you'd think he'd never had a footjob before. Amateur._

I shut the door on that, louder than I'd intended but not caring now that I knew what I had to face when I went back inside.

_Great. Just great._

To my surprise, Jacob was waiting outside, having heard our discussion as he was walking away. I thought up an excuse quickly and went with something I'd been meaning to talk to him about for the past few days anyway. I told him how grateful we all were for his help and how badly we felt that he was basically homeless since he'd forsaken his old pack.

He was in the middle of denying any clothing, food or shelter for himself and his new makeshift pack when we both heard a cry from inside the house.

_Bella!_

I shot back into the house so fast that Jacob didn't even see me leave. By the time I got inside, Rose was already holding her while she was doubled over in pain and Carlisle was trying to examine her with little luck.

"What happened? I was only gone for a minute!" I rushed to Bella's side, but a crowd had already formed and it wasn't easy to get to her. We were all hovering over her, waiting to hear what was wrong.

_I heard something crack, Edward._ Carlisle had been upstairs! Something had cracked inside of her loud enough for him to hear upstairs?

"Pretty sure... it was a rib," Bella gasped, clutching her side.

I felt myself go numb. The anger and dread that I had managed to put aside for about five whole minutes just came rushing back tenfold.

_This fucking thing was breaking her bones now._

_...................................................................................................................................................._

Later that night I walked back downstairs to check on Jacob. He'd been so exhausted after the rib fiasco that he laid down and fell asleep right in the doorway. I almost carried him to the couch, but I thought that might bruise his alpha male ego a bit, knowing that the vampire he hated had picked him up and tucked him in like a little girl. Alice was already keeping an eye on him, so I left her to it and went back upstairs to look in on Bella for about the fiftieth time.

After Carlisle had X-Rayed Bella and taped up her ribs, I refused to let them take her back downstairs. I told her she needed rest, and that she could go back down again in the morning. Bella is not the best invalid when she doesn't get what she wants. As soon as she was strong enough to put up a fuss, that's exactly what she did. She was at it again when I walked back into the room.

"Rose... please? It's so dull and creepy in here with all of these machines. Can't I go back downstairs? I feel fine now." Rosalie saw me coming and smiled, happy to let me be the bad guy again. As soon as I stepped inside the doorway she slipped out of the room.

"Isabella Marie Cullen. It is after three o'clock in the morning. Why are you still awake?" I tried to use my most stern voice with her, but since nothing I ever did seemed to intimidate her I wasn't making much headway.

"Edward, I'm not tired! I've slept on and off all day! My whole internal clock is off." She stuck her lip out and pretended to pout.

"Don't you give me that face, Missy. After that stunt you pulled on the couch earlier, I should banish you to your room for good. Be glad that I'm letting you out in the morning."

"Didn't you like it? I sure thought you did."

"I didn't like doing that in front of Rosalie, thank you very much. Besides, I don't want you getting too excited right now. Not two minutes later you had a broken rib!"

"It's not like that was _why_ I had a broken rib. It's just that the baby was feeling as rejuvenated as I was and got a little kick happy." She thought for another moment. "And don't try to tell me that the risk of getting caught and getting away with it wasn't a total turn on. I know you, Edward... you loved it."

I didn't have the heart to tell her that we hadn't gotten away with anything, and now my sister thought that I was a bigger pervert than her husband.

_At least he'd never take advantage of a girl on her deathbed. _Oh fuck off.

"Bella, I'm serious. I need you to try and sleep a bit more. Let that bone mend."

"Will you lay with me?" I eyed her suspiciously until she giggled. "No funny business, I promise. I just sleep so much better when you are next to me. Please? At least until I fall asleep?"

"Just for a little while now, alright? I'll wait until you fall asleep, but Carlisle and Rosalie are discussing all of today's events in the dining room, I can hear them. They are trying to plan out a few things and I'd like to be there for at least part of it."

"That's fine. I just hate lying here all alone." She slid over and patted the mattress, sighing contentedly when I stretched out next to her. "There... that's already better. You help me relax." She curled into me, laying her head on my shoulder. I would never get tired of holding her. I reached up and began stroking her hair, kissing her forehead lightly. "Mmm..." she smiled, looking up at me with sleepy eyes. "That's nice." I thought back to what she had said earlier today about Renee.

_Do you actually think that still works on her?_ Only one way to find out, huh?

I continued stroking her hair as gently as possible and started singing softly into her ear.

_Sleep pretty darling, do not cry._

_And I will sing a lullaby._

Bella opened her eyes briefly and looked at me, a sleepy smile on her face. "So...beautiful." And just like that, she was out. I didn't want to leave her yet, I wanted to hold on tight until morning, but I could hear that the discussion about the delivery was getting heated downstairs and I knew that I really should be there. I wanted to run an idea I'd had by Carlisle regarding Bella's change afterwards. I didn't want to disturb her by getting up, so I waited another minute until I heard the tiny little snores that meant Bella was sleeping deeply. I walked quietly towards the door, hoping that I could return as soon as possible, when I heard the faintest voice.

…_..........mmmmmm hmmmm lullabyeeeeee.................._

I spun around on my heels, thinking that Bella had woken back up or had spoken in her sleep, but she was still snoring lightly and hadn't moved an inch. When I thought about it, I knew that I'd never heard her snoring stop, so it couldn't have been her.

I listened more closely, wondering if I had somehow been granted a window into her dreams for once, but there was nothing from her mind but the typical silence.

_What the hell was that?_

…........................................................................................................................................................

I had all but forgotten that mystery voice I had heard... until two days later.

We had been sitting on the couch together, Jacob was about to take a nap in the recliner, and Rosalie had just gone upstairs to get Bella a fresh Cup O' Blood. Half of the family had finally gone hunting and everything had gotten amazingly quiet, more than it had been in weeks. When out of nowhere...

_...pretty voice..._

_What the hell? There it is again!_

At first I thought Bella had spoken, and when she claimed that she hadn't I was starting to wonder if whatever barrier that kept her mind locked away from me was beginning to deteriorate as her pregnancy became more advanced. I asked her _exactly_ what she had just been thinking, but when she told me it was about the feathers I knew I'd been wrong. When I heard another faint murmur from Bella's direction I started to get the craziest idea that I'd ever had in my entire life.

_No way. No fucking way. This can NOT be happening._

I got up on my knees and leaned way over Bella's body, listening closely. When that didn't help, I did something that I never thought I would willingly do. I touched _the lump_. I slowly rested my hands on Bella's bulging stomach and lean my head towards it. It must have shocked everyone else in the room as well, since I heard loud gasps around me.

_...mommy... pretty voice..._

I looked up at Bella with what had to be a shocked expression on my face. "The fet-... it... the baby likes the sound of your voice."

Her eyes got wide and she shouted, "Holy crow, you can hear him?" I felt a distinct jolt from somewhere inside the lump. Bella winced. I slid my hand up to where it felt like it had kicked her and gently rubbed.

"Shh... you startled it... him." I kept listening. I could not believe what I was doing, yet I couldn't stop myself. I felt compelled.

"Sorry, baby," she whispered. "What's he thinking now?" I realized that everyone in the room was waiting with baited breath.

…_so happy... see mommy soon..._

_Did I just hear that right? That was a coherent thought._

"It... he or she, is..." I swallowed. I looked into Bella's eyes, not able to wrap my head around what I was about to say. "He's _happy_."

Bella completely lost it and started crying huge tears of joy. Her eyes never left mine as she placed her hand on top of mine, holding the lum- holding the _baby_ together.

_I just can't believe this... there is a baby in there... not a monster... it's a little baby who is happy to be here. _

While I was still marveling over this newest revelation, Bella was already off talking and cooing over the baby, talking baby names with Rosalie. EJ for a boy, Renesmee for a girl. She was convinced it was an EJ. I barely heard them, but I must have spoken. I couldn't tell you what I said but as soon as I was done I heard the voice again.

…_daddy... pretty voice... mmm hmm lullabyeeee...._

_Oh my God. This is not happening. I did not just hear that. It __**knows**__ me._

"He... likes my voice... too," I barely choked out over some kind of lump that had formed in my throat.

This new bit of information sent Bella and Rosalie off on a whole new thread of I told you so's. I couldn't be bothered to pay attention to them, I didn't want to miss a single word that the baby... my baby... _our_ baby... was sharing with me. I leaned even closer, resting my ear tenderly on her rounded belly.

_...mommy... love mommy... loves me... my mommy... see mommy soon..._

That was what did me in. This baby... _our_ baby... was no monster. I had been completely wrong. This baby was hurting her, but not intentionally. It loved her. It absolutely _adored_ her. How could he not? She had fought for him and protected him every step of the way, whether he deserved it or not. This baby was more like me than I'd thought.

And now we were both crazy in love with Bella.

…........................................................................................................................................................

We spent the rest of the day like that. Huddled over the baby belly, talking back and forth. It didn't take any of us long to realize that the baby could hear us _and_ understand us. It's intelligence was off the charts and it hadn't even been born yet.

Rosalie wouldn't stop gloating and Bella was beside herself with happiness. I had started to feel something that I hadn't felt in weeks. Hope. Hope that we might actually be able to save Bella if we knew what we were working with.

The baby made it very clear that he didn't like hurting Bella. He was very remorseful after every pained kick she received. He truly was just running out of room in there. I knew that we were going to have to deliver Bella sooner rather than later. Carlisle had calculated based on her growth rate that she would probably go into labor in about 4 days time. I didn't want to wait. As soon as Carlisle returned, I wanted it done. We could tell that the baby was very developed and very cramped... I didn't want him or Bella suffering any more than need be.

Jacob had been so furious with me that he had stormed out, calling me a traitor. I gave him Bella's 'after' car keys and sent him on his way to clear his head. I knew how lonely he had to feel, but I couldn't deny the truth any longer. This baby was _good_. This baby was _ours_. And I would spend the rest of my life making it up to him for how I'd first received him.

When Jacob finally returned to the house, I met him outside. I knew that Bella was going to need to be turned after the birth, and I wanted his consent. I respected his word as the true alpha leader of the wolf pack, and only his word would release us from breaking the treaty. When he walked back into the house with me and saw how happy and excited she was about the baby now, he begrudgingly gave me consent. I had planned to turn her either way, but now I would not feel as though I had gone against an ally.

While we were visiting with Bella later, her mainly liquid diet forced her to ask Rose to help her to the restroom once again.

Then all hell broke loose.

She had simply spilled her damn Cup O' Blood on the couch, and rather than let us tend to it she instinctively leaned over to clean it up.

We all heard the noise. It was a deep, wet, tearing sound. Bella passed out and started vomiting blood everywhere in a giant red geyser. I immediately sensed the baby's panic. It was suffocating.

_Oh Christ! The placenta has separated! If I don't do something right now I am going to lose them both._

Everything that happened next was a complete blur. So many things were going on at once that I'm surprised I can even recall any of it. I was only focused on one thing from that moment on, and that was saving my wife and child.

We ran her upstairs to the delivery room. Her clothes were torn from her and she was covered in blood. I had never seen anything more disturbing in my worst nightmares. She awoke briefly and started screaming for me to save the baby.

"Get him out! He can't breathe! Edward! Save him!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice warbling over the blood caught in her throat.

_Always Bella... thinking of herself last. Even in death._

Rosalie had started to help with the cesarean, but chose the very moment that she had to cut Bella's skin to remember that she was starving.

_Really? You've been a rabid cunt for weeks to protect this baby and you lose your shit **now**?!_

After Jacob fought her off and handed her over to Alice to deal with, he returned to help me with CPR to keep Bella's tired heart beating. I remember being worried that the morphine hadn't kicked in yet to ease her pain, but at that moment we heard a loud snap and watched Bella's legs fall lifeless to the table.

_Her spine! Jesus Christ._

Jacob reminded me that at least now she would feel no pain. I took over the cesarean, doing the only thing left to do.

_Don't think about the blood. Save her. You've tasted it before. You can stop. Don't even drink it. Just bite. Get through the hard barrier. Get your baby out alive. _

I revealed the white, hard barrier that was Bella's placenta. I leaned over slowly and made a few quick incisions with my teeth, trying to avoid biting too deeply and hurting the child. When I made a large enough opening I pulled it back to reveal...

My daughter.

I had a _daughter_.

_Renesmee._

Bella came to long enough to reach out for her. I gently placed her in her arms and told her it was a girl.

"So... beautiful," she breathed weakly, only to gasp when the baby bit at her breast. I pulled the baby away quickly and scolded her.

"No, Renesmee... we don't bite Mommy." I tried to hand her off to Jacob so that I could finish with Bella's transformation, but he refused to even look at her. By then Rosalie had regained her composure and took the baby downstairs to feed her.

I knew that I was running out of time to save Bella. Her heartbeat had grown so weak and it was terrifying. I started injecting Bella's heart directly with my venom, which only made her CPR more difficult, and then I began biting her at every major pulse point that I could think of to help the venom travel faster. Her neck, her wrists... anywhere that would help. Her heart started slowing faster, and Jacob eventually left the room as well. He had already figured Bella for dead and didn't want to watch me trying to revive a corpse.

I was now alone with her. All of my help had left.

But I refused to give up on her.

She had never given up on me no matter what I had put her through in the past, I'd be damned if I ever left her side again... even in death.

I continued making small nips in her skin between compressions, always laving them with my venom to seal the wounds.

_Here we are, Bella. Just you and me. You always wanted me to turn you. Bet you didn't think it would be so glamorous, did you? _

I kept pumping and counting, forcing the poison through her veins.

_Stay with me, Bella! This means nothing without you! I can't fucking do this without you by my side!_

One. Two. Three. Four.

Pumping, pumping, I was still doing all the work.

One. Two. Three. Four.

I hadn't heard her heart beat in what felt like hours, but I knew that couldn't be right.

One. Two. Three. Four.

_Come on, you God Damned veins! You pump for me any other time! Always in my face! Always tempting me! The one time I WANT you to pump for me and you fucking quit on me!_

One. Two. Three. Four.

One. Two. Three. Four.

_Oh God... What was all of this for? I can't exist without her! _

One. Two. Three. Four.

_WHAT THE FUCK WAS THE POINT OF ANY OF THIS???_

One. Two. Three. Four.

One. Two. Three. Four.

One. Two. Three. Four.

One. Two. Three. Four.

One. Two. Three. Four.

…............................

…......................................

....................................................

_thump thump_

A/N: Please review! I am desperate to hear what you think of this chapter. Also, I am interested to know what you are all looking forward to in the vampy vamp lovin chapters to come!


	10. Awake

A/N: Thank you so much for the great feedback after the last chapter. Most of you seemed to like it! If I missed any reviews I'm sorry, I updated this last time right in the middle of the big glitch on here, and some of them were lost in my alerts. I've been going through trying to find them, so if you weren't replied to and it wasn't an anonymous fic, I'm working on it! I try to reply to every single review I get. (if I physically can, that is. I can't reply to anonymous fics. I'm not ignoring you!)

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything!! **

_Our bed we live, our bed we sleep_

_making love and I become you_

_flesh is warm with naked feet_

_stabbing thorns and you become me_

_Oh, I'd beg for you. Oh, you know I'll beg for you._

_Pick a song and sing a yellow nectarine_

_Take a bath, I'll drink the water that you leave_

_If you should die before me ask if you can bring a friend_

_pick a flower, hold your breath_

_and drift away..._

"_Still Remains" - Stone Temple Pilots_

She was going to make it.

Bella was going to make it.

No matter how many times I said it aloud I still couldn't believe it.

Somehow, through all of the chaos and insanity that had been the last 24 hours, Bella had kept her heart beating. Part of me wondered if she was keeping it pumping out of sheer stubbornness and nothing else, only to prove that she could.

I had never loved her stubbornness more.

Unlike any of the other transformations I had witnessed, Bella laid completely still. No screams. No shaking. No sign of life other than the slow, thick pumping of her changing heart. At first I panicked, convinced that I had done something wrong, but Carlisle repeatedly assured me that no two changes were the same and as long as we could see her progress then I should do my best to stay calm.

_Yeah. Sure. That's easy._

I hadn't left the room yet, choosing instead to stay by her side and try to give her any support that I could. I had no idea if she even knew I was there, but my presence had always helped to calm her in the past and I was damn sure not taking it away from her now. I stroked her hair and held her hand. I sang to her softly. I spoke of our future and what she would have waiting for her when she woke up. I prayed repeatedly that she did not suffer too greatly.

All in vain, I'm sure, but it helped me to stay focused.

Once I had finally gotten Bella stabilized and her heart continued to pump on its own, I took a step back and looked at her. She had been covered in blood. So much blood. Blood from the birth, blood from the vomit, even a tiny amount of blood from my bites. The room looked like a grisly murder scene and I was certain that it wasn't something she would enjoy waking up to. Plus, I couldn't handle having my Bella looking like that. It was torture enough imagining the scorching agony that she was enduring silently; I didn't need a visual reminder of her pain every time I looked at her.

As soon as I could tell that her body was beginning to heal itself I went to summon Alice. Before I could even reach the door she was entering the room with a large bowl of hot water and many towels.

"Let's get her all cleaned up!" She whirled through the room like a dervish, making fast work of the mess. As I joined her on the other side of Bella's body to help, I was transfixed at the sight of Bella's luminous skin that was revealed as Alice quickly washed her face. "Oh! Just look, Edward! She's already so much better!" Her enthusiasm was genuine and a salve to my aching doubts.

She quickly soaked a second towel in the water and drained it, reaching across Bella's torso to hand it to me. Instead of just taking it from her, I grabbed her hand and held tight. She stopped her frenzied activity abruptly and looked at me, a hummingbird with its wing snared. Only then did she meet my eyes.

"Alice..." I whispered hoarsely.

"You don't have to say it, Edward. I know. I would have been here to help you no matter what happened. I love her, too, you know."

"For that especially... thank you." She paused for a moment and looked away, but not before I saw her blinking rapidly against her stinging eyes. By the time she looked back at me a fraction of a second later, the clouds had passed from her vision.

"Oh! I just can't wait to dress her in the new gown I bought!" And just like that, she was Good Old Alice again. We worked together diligently to clean away every single drop of blood from Bella's skin. Alice chattered away as we worked, telling Bella about all of the wonderful places they would go to find the finest clothes after she woke up. I didn't think she could hear her, but I knew from experience that it was more for Alice's benefit than Bella's.

I wiped away the splatters of blood on Bella's abdomen, pleased to see that the incision was completely healed. No bruises. No marks. I also noticed that her skin was beginning to feel firmer, less fragile to me. Alice helped me wash her hair, something I had done many times on the island but never like this. The color was the same... but different. It seemed richer, deeper. A warm mahogany waterfall.

When we were finished, I let Alice dress her in the gown she'd been speaking of earlier. Ice blue satin. The color on Bella was breathtaking, but I couldn't hide my smirk at the design of the gown.

"What?" Alice huffed.

"Nothing, Alice. It's a beautiful dress."

"But?" She put her hands on her hips and huffed again loudly.

"Well... it's just that... isn't it rather... formal? It's just so... _not_ Bella." That was the only way I could describe it. She looked amazing in it, but my bet would be that she wouldn't go near that dress with a ten foot pole under any other circumstance.

"Edward, don't you dare ruin this! She deserves to look her best, this should be a celebration." She looked down at her thoughtfully before turning back to me. "Can you believe how _beautiful_ she is now?"

"She was _always_ beautiful!" I growled.

"Yes, yes. I know. I agree. Don't get grouchy on me, now." She paused for a moment and spun on her heels, heading towards the door. "I know what you need to cheer you up." Her voice trailed behind her as she left the room.

"Don't you listen to her, Bella. You have always been so beautiful that it made my heart hurt." I stroked her hair away from her face and leaned down, kissing her softly on the cheek. Somewhere downstairs I could hear a scuffle brewing.

"He's already seen her twice today. If he can't be bothered to come down here to see her then I don't see why we need to keep taking her up there." _Rosalie. Figures._

"Oh, stop being a bitch. You two have hogged her all day. You know he can't leave Bella when she's like this. If this makes him happy and lets him stop worrying for even five minutes, it's worth it. It's the only times I've seen him smile in days." _Thanks, Alice._

"I'm still not sure this is safe." A roomful of groans followed. "What? She could wake up when you least expect it. How is it safe to have her up there?" _Fucking mongrel._

"Oh, for Heaven's sake!" Frustration evident in her voice now. "Would you lighten up, Jacob?! We will _all_ know when it's time, and we will _all_ do our part to keep her safe. Now give her to me." _You tell him, Alice!_

A few moments later I heard the familiar light thrumming sound that I had come to know so well already. The closer it got to me, the better I felt. I turned to face the door just as Alice reappeared, a tiny bundle cradled lovingly in her arms.

"Yes, that's right! It's time to see Daddy again!" Alice patted the little hand that touched her neck. She looked down at her briefly, interpreting the next images she was receiving. "No. Jacob doesn't need to be here right now. You can play with him later." Almost a cold tone. Not that I blamed her one bit. _Fucking mongrel._

I went to them with my arms out, unable to keep the smile from my face. As soon as the warm little package was delivered to me my world seemed almost right again. Alice left quietly, giving us our privacy. I spent nearly 30 seconds just gazing at her, noting all of the small changes that had already taken place since earlier that afternoon. Her hair was slightly longer, with a bit more curl. Her features seemed more developed, sharper. And damn if she hadn't gotten more beautiful. There was so much of me in her features now, but nothing could dim the rich brown of Bella's eyes that looked up at me.

For all the time that I spent studying her, she did the same. She looked as if she were memorizing everything about me with her too-wise eyes. She must have decided that she liked what she saw, since an enormous smile broke out on her face that matched my own. I leaned over her gently and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, inhaling deeply as I pulled away. Her scent was like nothing I'd ever known and everything I'd ever loved all wrapped up in one.

"Hello baby girl," I whispered. "I've missed you." I cuddled her closely for a while in silence until Renesmee lifted her tiny, plump fingers towards my face. "Alright, little one. Tell me about your day." I leaned forward until she could reach my cheek. The moment her palm touched my skin the images started flooding into my mind.

We had discovered fairly early on that Renesmee was highly gifted, aside from her rapid growth. She didn't speak yet, but she had her own way of communicating by touch. The moment she touched anyone she could send images from her mind to theirs. I didn't need the contact with my ability, I could already see what she was thinking, but it was still rather staggering to experience for the first time. While her mother was a brick wall that I couldn't break through, she literally threw her thoughts at me.

I slowly walked around the room, absorbing pictures from earlier that day. Rosalie rocking her in a chair. Alice playing peek-a-boo. Jasper watching and smiling. Carlisle trying once again to feed her formula. Esme successfully feeding her blood. Emmett blowing raspberries on her cheeks. And of course... Jacob. I tried not to roll my eyes at these images. Jacob rocking her to sleep. Jacob laughing at her biting him. Jacob making silly faces at her. Jacob, Jacob, Jacob.

_Barf._

We were also shocked to discover that Jacob had finally imprinted. _On my daughter_. My tiny, newborn daughter. And Renesmee was just as taken with him. I understood how the process worked; I knew that it wasn't something inappropriate, but that didn't make me any happier about it. I felt like I'd only had seconds with her before she already "belonged" to someone else.

I couldn't even _imagine_ how furious Bella was going to be.

I was pulled from my thoughts of wolficide by a sudden image of Bella. Poor Bella, so bloody and exhausted. I noticed that Renesmee was trying to look in her direction. She was remembering the first time she'd seen her again. It was an image that she showed me rather frequently.

"Let's go see Mommy." I carried her over to Bella's bedside and turned her so that she could see her face clearly. "See? She's alright. Much better than before. She's only sleeping right now. She's going to be so happy to see you again, Renesmee." She smiled again, brighter than the sunshine, and I swear that my heart did a flip.

I walked around the room a bit more, stopping at the window to point at different things and tell her what they were. This was one of her favorite things to do so far, she soaked up information like a sponge. As she listened to my voice longer she looked back at my face, raising up her tiny hand again. This time when I lowered my cheek to her I was shown an image that I hadn't seen before.

Everything was very dark, but I could hear muffled noises, as if through water. I began hearing my own voice, a bit warbled through the fluid, but I was singing. I listened closely, suddenly remembering this moment. It was when I was singing Bella to sleep.

While she was still pregnant.

This was a memory from inside the womb.

After all of the crazy new things she was experiencing, she still remembered my singing that she had only heard briefly while waiting to be born.

_My God. Will I ever stop being amazed by this little thing?_

"That's right," I said, clearing my throat, trying not to choke on a happy sob. "That was me. Did you like that? Do you like it when Daddy sings to you?" I was granted another spectacular smile. I started humming as I walked her around, rocking her slowly in my arms to the beat. I decided to stick with The Beatles, something sweet and simple.

_Blackbird singing in the dead of night_

_Take these broken wings and learn to fly_

_All your life..._

_You were only waiting for this moment to arise_

I watched as her heavy lids slowly closed, finally giving in to her busy day. I trailed off the song to a quiet hum again, watching as her little eyes moved in her sleep and her breathing became more steady.

There were still moments when all I could think about was my attitude towards Bella's pregnancy. The horrible way I had thought and acted. When I looked at the precious gift sleeping in my arms it was impossible to reconcile. I quickly quashed any feelings of guilt that tried to rise. I knew that I couldn't change the past now, I could only focus on the future.

This baby was going to have a happy life. My baby. _Our_ baby.

Sensing that Renesmee had fallen asleep, Alice returned to the room. I carefully handed her over, but not before leaving another gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Sleep tight, baby girl," I whispered softly. "I love you."

I watched as Alice carried her away, back to the den of hungry baby worshipers. I missed her already, but I knew that I would see her again in a few hours. I walked back to Bella, returning to my bedside vigil. I listened to the sluggish rhythm of her heart, knowing that before too long it would start racing for the final time. I took her hand in mine and raised it to my lips, kissing her fingers.

"Please come back to me soon, love. It doesn't feel right, having this time with our daughter without you. We should be together as a family." I looked at her face, so deceptively peaceful. What Hell was she going through? Would she remember me at all? Would she _regret_?

I sat down, still holding her hand, and laid my head on her stomach.

"I miss you. So very much."

….....................................................................................................................................

She came back to me the next day.

We had all heard her heart; had all recognized the signs. We were there to greet her, ready for any possibility.

Or so we thought.

Emmett and Jasper had been ready to hold her back, to keep her from attacking anyone in her confusion. But they weren't needed. She kept herself in check instantaneously with merely a thought. None of us knew how to react to a newborn that had so much control.

And I had no idea how to react to the sight of her.

Breathtaking was putting it mildly. It was still her, only intensified. Sharpened. Flawless. Even her blood red eyes did nothing to detract from her beauty.

I had been so worried that she wouldn't know me, that she would need to re-learn our past, but I couldn't have been more wrong.

When I saw the look of recognition spark on her face at seeing me, I was so relieved. I had slowly walked towards her, taking it easy, ready to defend myself if I had to. As she watched me, her expression changed. So many emotions played across her face in the blink of an eye. Surprise. Relief. Happiness. _Desire?_

She lunged at me, but rather than fighting me she wrapped her arms around me and squeezed. Hard. It hurt. I broke her hold and reminded her to be careful, that _she_ was the one who could hurt _me_ now. That was definitely going to take some getting used to, but I'd much rather be the one having some mild discomfort instead of her risking serious injury every time we were together.

She stared at me so hard I thought something was wrong, until I realized that she was trying to remember something. So slowly that it had to have been maddening to her, she raised her hand and gently stroked my cheek with her fingertips. I immediately felt that electric current that flowed between us, only now it was even stronger.

Staring deep into my eyes, she said the one thing that I needed to hear more than anything at that moment.

"I love you."

I couldn't have held back my answering smile if my life had depended on it. My beautiful wife was back... and she remembered me. Not only did she remember me... she loved me. I felt like I was floating away, drifting on giddy clouds of happiness.

"As I love you."

I slowly reached out and cupped her face in my hands. I simply had to kiss her. I had never felt so compelled. Even if it was just a tiny peck, I had to feel her lips again. I leaned in, closing the distance, taking in everything around us. I gently brushed my lips against hers, showing her my love. The electricity returned as soon as our flesh met. I deepened the kiss a bit more, seeking out her spark, breathing her in.

_So luscious so delicious so amazing so MINE!_

Her rich scent shifted as I kissed her, revealing the powerful smell of her passion and lust. There was no smell of blood clouding up my senses now, just pure unadulterated lust. The electric current shot fire through my veins, making my body leap to attention.

I deepened the kiss further still, forgetting myself. I wanted to spend eternity forgetting myself with her, starting right now. I slid my hands to the back of her head and pulled her further into me, and for the very first time while kissing her, I opened my mouth. My tongue slid out and licked at her lips, seeking entrance. She parted them eagerly and moaned, a sound that was quite welcome to my lust-addled brain. My tongue swept inside her hungry mouth, slipping and sliding against hers until I was mimicking what I wanted to do with other parts of my body to hers. The other parts of my body that were standing up and applauding this very delicious kiss.

Bella melted into me, wrapping her leg around my hip as her arms carefully stroked along my back. I was so turned on that I began kissing her even more fiercely, almost rough against her lips as I stabbed at her with my tongue. She swallowed my kisses, sucking my tongue in deeper as we both panted frantically, inhaling each other, tasting what had always been forbidden.

_Her tongue tastes almost as sweet as her pussy. I can't wait until I can-_

"A-_hem!_" Emmett cleared his throat, bringing us both back to the here and now. Bella looked down and saw how entangled we'd become and quickly removed herself, a look of sheer embarrassment on her face. I couldn't resist a chuckle as we both turned to face our patient family, but Bella kept staring at me with a look of wonderment. I couldn't keep from feeling more than a bit smug at her reaction.

_Just wait. There's more where that came from, baby._

"You've been holding out on me!" she whispered.

I couldn't help it. I laughed. I laughed loud and hard, letting the much needed relief wash over me.

"It was sort of necessary at the time," I chuckled. "Now it's your turn to not break _me_." I laughed again, feeling high on my happiness.

Carlisle grilled Bella on her transformation and what she remembered, trying to get a better idea of what to do in the future should the need ever arise again. Her grasp on her surroundings was unprecedented. He was not the only one fascinated by her answers and reactions. As I looked around the room I noticed nothing but slack-jawed faces and astonishment.

Before long Carlisle pointed out that she must be quite thirsty and I felt horrible at not thinking of it sooner. My only defense was that I had been absolutely hypnotized by her, and our fiery kiss had only sent my thoughts so far into the gutter that I wasn't focusing on the essentials.

Bella badly wanted to see Renesmee, needing solid proof that she hadn't only dreamed of meeting a tiny angel before her change, but we all thought that she should hunt first. We had no idea how she would react to her scent and the last thing she needed right now was to attack her own child. It took some convincing on my part, but I finally got her to agree to go hunting with me. I had to admit that it was a slight bruise to my ego; she had always longed to be allowed to see me hunt.

We went out the window and headed into the woods, racing each other to test out her new abilities. I was still slightly faster, but not by much. I let her win the first race but she quickly called me on it. I couldn't find it in myself to feel bad about it, though. I was too excited by this feeling of truly having a partner.

An ungodly sexy partner at that.

At some point she had ripped open her gown, slitting the sides all the way up to her hips so that she could jump easier. I couldn't stop sneaking glances at her shapely legs, all tightly toned muscle and sinew.

I blame those sexy legs for my lack of forethought.

I had made a nearly tragic error by not scanning the woods properly for humans. I had assumed that for the time of year and as far out as we were, there wouldn't be any nearby. I was wrong.

I was wrong, and I blame those fucking sexy legs for distracting me.

She had taken off like a shot the second she caught their scent on the breeze. I tore after her, praying that I could stop her before the carnage was so bad that she would never forgive herself.

_Fucking idiot! You stupid, horny idiot! This is all your fault! _

But being Bella, she managed to completely shock me again. She just... stopped. Once her concentration had been broken when she sensed I was following her, she made a conscious effort to just... _stop_. I couldn't fathom it. This was not normal newborn behavior and I couldn't figure out how she was doing it. I wanted nothing more than to be able to see into her mind at that moment, to make sense of her thoughts and emotions. It was beyond frustrating.

Have I mentioned that I hate being frustrated?

Once we were a safe distance away I tried asking her how she did it. She couldn't answer me. She had no idea, herself. Her thoughts and emotions were so easily distractible that she couldn't focus long enough to think about it.

The only thing that she _did_ seem to be able to focus on was not helping me be a gentleman. I had been lusting after her from the moment she woke up and trying my hardest to keep it to myself. Our kiss had been a total slip of my control, but I had been so overwhelmed that I couldn't stop. Normally sex was very low on a newborn's list of priorities and that was one of the only reasons that Bella had finally been willing to think about putting off her change. For some it could take years to feel even remotely human again, with any need other than feeding. Because of this I had planned to keep a respectful distance and never pressure her. I would be waiting when she was ready.

Which is why I was completely dumbfounded at her next words.

She had slowly reached up and traced my lips with her fingertips, staring at my mouth with a hungry look in her eyes. I fought back my urge to pounce on her, letting her explore with what I assumed was her basic curiosity.

"I thought I wouldn't feel this way for a long time?" She sounded as confused as I felt. "But I still _want_ you."

_Oh holy fuck._

There was no misinterpreting that.

"How can you even concentrate on that?! Aren't you unbearably thirsty?" Part of me couldn't believe that I wasn't already dragging her to the ground and ravishing her, but my shock had won out.

My reminder of her thirst set us off to finish our hunt. I held myself in check as I watched Bella try to figure out her first kill. She had taken down a mountain lion, and while the rational part of my brain knew that she would be fine, it was hard to make the emotional side understand that she didn't need my protection. With great effort I stayed put, leaning back on a tree, ready to jump in at the first sign of trouble.

After a few seconds of wrestling with the beast Bella quickly got her feel for it, making my anxiety completely futile. As I watched her sink her teeth into the animal's neck I was surprised to find myself becoming aroused again. Her mouth was very unskilled yet and working on instinct alone, but the sight of her succulent lips overflowing with fresh blood was doing a number on my body. When she had finally drained the lion of its life she stood up and turned to face me, making me grip the tree behind me so hard that I gouged deep claw marks into the bark.

Her hair was a wild, tangled mess with leaves sticking out here and there. She had dirt streaks across her body. The lion had clawed at her in their fight, leaving her dress in tatters. And she was covered in blood.

She looked more erotic than I had _ever_ fantasized, like a wild wood nymph sent to lure me to my death.

I tried to make small talk, to compliment her first attempt, but I couldn't keep my eyes from wandering down her body. They kept lingering on the numerous exposed bits of creamy white flesh that were streaked with blood. She looked delicious, and I was becoming more ravenous by the second.

She was Sin personified, and I wanted to be a very sinful boy.

In an attempt to distract myself from my wicked thoughts I suggested that we continue our hunt. We fell on a group of deer and drank our fill, Bella stopping after a while to admire my technique. When I was finished I went to her, making sure that she was full and had no desire to continue. As we spoke I saw her emotions flicker and change, leaving a look of sadness on her face.

"I want to see Renesmee," she sighed. Yes, it was time. She had been kept from her long enough, and to be perfectly honest I was missing her, too.

I smiled and held out my hand to her, thrilling at the feel of our skin touching when she took it. I saw her expression quickly change again when she felt my hand with her own. She looked from our joined hands up to my face, studying me closely and slowly taking in all of the changes made by our hunt. She reached out and stroked my cheek once, then again. Her touch was as light as a feather, but it left flames behind in its wake.

"You are so warm now. So soft," she marveled.

_And getting hotter by the second, my dear._

Bella closed the distance between us, and with visible concentration she slowly stretched up onto her tiptoes and gently wrapped her arms around my neck. This brought her body flush against the front of mine, crushing her lush, half-exposed breasts into my chest. She lowered her nose to the side of my neck and inhaled deeply, making a noise deep in her throat that could only be described as half growling, half purring.

_Keep it together, keep it together, don't attack her, she needs time _

"Oh Edward... you smell... so wonderful." Every few words were separated by her taking another deep sniff. "There's something... different. I can't place it, but it wasn't there earlier. Not like this." Another long drag. "Oh God, what _is_ it? It's so... delicious!"

_Could it be? Could Bella actually be smelling **my **lust?_

"Well," I gulped, "I can only guess, but I think you might be smelling my... my arousal."

My body was starting to tremble from all of the effort it was taking to hold back. She purred even deeper, which vibrated through her chest and into mine. Stretching up even further against me, she ran her nose from my collarbone up to my ear, only pulling away far enough to whisper.

"Mmm... I just want to eat you up." And with that she slipped her velvety tongue between her lips and flicked it against my earlobe, bringing her razor sharp teeth down quickly and nipping me lightly, breaking the skin and causing a familiar sting. But it was a sting that had never felt so good.

_Alright, that's it! Fuck control!_

My body had taken over, unable to take any more torture. My arms acted on their own, grabbing Bella around the waist and yanking her even closer against me. My lips came crashing down on hers roughly, kissing her with all of the violent passion that I had been bottling up inside of me.

Our tongues began a battle for dominance, forcing their way into each other's mouths. I swallowed her moans deep inside of me and gave her mine in return. Bella reached up and sank her hands into my hair, pulling me deeper into her mouth. It was rough. It was hungry. It was animal. It was perfect.

I pulled away slightly, trailing my tongue around her mouth, licking the blood from her skin. She arched her neck back and pulled me with her until I was following the rivulets of blood along her jawline and further down her throat, licking and sucking her alabaster skin clean.

_Bite her. Now. Show her who is in control. _

What? Where had that come from? Why would I still want to bite her?

I raised my mouth back to hers, away from her throat and sudden unexpected temptations. Our lips locked in another fiery kiss just as Bella leaned forward with too much force, sending us toppling to the ground. She landed on top of me, straddling my hips and my now very prominent erection.

"Oops!" she giggled. "I didn't mean to tackle you like that. Are you okay?"

I looked down at the position we were in and then back up to her. Here was this woman, this goddess, this sultry sex-kitten with her glowing skin and tattered dress, perched on top of my rock hard cock and asking if _I_ was okay.

I reached up one hand and cupped her cheek, reaching my thumb over and stroking her lips. My other hand that had still been around her waist slid down to cup her bottom and pull her onto me more firmly. "Slightly better than _okay_." I answered, grinding myself against her wet heat that I could feel through her thin dress.

She froze and we locked eyes, almost daring each other to make the next move. Bella caved first, her newborn patience nothing compared to mine. She grabbed hold of both sides of my shirt and ripped it wide open, sending buttons flying to all corners of the forest, the sounds of them landing in the leaves echoing in my ears. She gazed down at my naked chest, her eyes pure fire. Leaning over quickly, she circled first one firm nipple, then the other with her tongue, clamping down on them firmly with her mouth and suckling hard. I felt my eyes roll back in my head at the new sensation and growled loudly, bucking my hips in response.

Bella sat up and arched her back, letting out a loud moan as she grabbed my hands and placed them on her breasts, making me squeeze them so hard that it hurt my hands. I sat up and buried my face in her tits, continuing to grope them roughly as she wrapped her legs around my waist. I tore at the flimsy remains of satin that covered her chest, revealing first one, then another hardened peak. I sought them out with my hungry mouth, feeling her hands rake through my hair again and grab large handfuls, anchoring me against her savagely as I feasted on the turgid flesh.

_Yes! Mine mine mine mine MINE!_

I could feel the ends of Bella's long mahogany locks flicking against my thighs as she arched even further back at an impossible angle, rolling her hips into mine repeatedly as I continued to devour her.

"So... good... Edward... oh yes!"

I could tell from her responses that I could make her climax from nothing more than sucking on her nipples if I wanted to, but I couldn't resist sliding my hands back down to her ass and pulling her against my erection until she was angled perfectly for the best friction possible. We rocked into each other, grinding and moaning, feeling each other so perfectly that it was as if there were no barriers between us.

"Edward... I want you so badly! Will you take me now? Here?"

I wanted nothing more, but something was nagging at me. I knew that we had to stop. I knew that we had been away for much too long and they would start to get worried if we did not return, fearing the worst. My brain knew this, but my body was not ready to listen.

_Bullshit! Throw her down and fuck her! Now! Bury yourself inside her and sate your lust!_

No... we won't be able to stop... we need to get back... Renesmee is waiting.

Renesmee.

That final thought finally pierced through my mind, bringing me back to reality. We had all of eternity to do this. We only had once to meet our daughter together as a family. I knew this was going to be difficult to stop, but once Bella was thinking more clearly I knew she would agree.

I looked back at her, writhing in my lap and moaning, ready to come at any moment. I knew that I could stop right now without taking her if I forced myself, but did I really want to deprive her of all pleasure? No. We needed this quick release... but I could not enter her body like I wanted so badly to do, or else we would never leave.

I slid my hand between our bodies and under her skirt, bringing it back to right above where we were rocking together. I felt the moisture at her thighs and suppressed a shudder, knowing that this was going to be an extreme test of my will. I slipped my thumb between her wet folds, settling on the tight bundle of nerves that would be her undoing.

"Bella," I gasped as she ground even harder into me, "Come for me, baby. I want to make you come before we have to go back."

"Not without you," she panted, already starting to make small circles with her hips that caused her swollen clit to rub against my thumb in just the right way. I added more pressure and began sliding my thumb up and down, eliciting louder moans from her gorgeous mouth.

"Believe me, Bella... this already feels so fucking good... seeing you come will send me over the edge." Something in my face must have made her believe me, or else she was so close that she just couldn't care anymore, but she began rocking into me furiously, grinding her wet pussy against me until my toes wanted to curl. I could feel her so well... I was so close...

_Don't stop don't stop for fuck's sake don't stop!_

I applied even more pressure with my thumb and thrust harder, stimulating her in multiple places at once. She started twitching and shaking above me and I knew it would be any moment now.

"Come on baby... come for me Bella. Ride my cock and come for me now!" I growled the last at her, sending her over the edge. She threw her head back and screamed, spasming against my body as she found her release.

"Oh God, Edward. Yes!"

As soon as I saw her face and smelled her climax begin, my own started. I held her hips and thrust against her, so close... so fucking close...

Bella grabbed my hand from between her thighs, riding out the last waves of her orgasm and desperate to share it with me. She shoved my thumb between my lips roughly, which forced me to suck her juices from my skin.

_Oh holy fuck, that did it! Yes yes yes yes yes so fucking good!_

"Ungh!" I groaned around my thumb, which she was still holding in place until I was done. She leaned over and sucked on my neck, stopping to scream into my skin as we both rode out the final wave.

I held her like that for what could have been hours but I hoped was only a few minutes. The world had stopped around us. It was much to easy to forget that anything else even existed. We were together in each other's arms again and reluctant to let anything else intrude.

There was only one thing that was important enough to break through our little bubble of happiness. I looked at Bella and smiled.

"Renesmee?"

"Renesmee," she answered.

She stood up in one fluid motion and pulled me with her. We ran back towards the house, a new purpose fueling our excitement.

I couldn't wait to get Bella alone later and finish what we had started out there in the woods, but for now I was happy focusing on my new goal.

I was going to properly introduce my wife to our daughter.

We were about to become a family.

A/N: So? What did you think? Please let me know! My reviews (or lack thereof) really frustrate me on here, because I have so many people who favorite or alert this fic, but the reviews are nowhere near that number. Over on Twilighted I have so many more for the very same story, and I love it so much because I can hear what everyone's thoughts were and what they liked or didn't like. Please let me know what you thought about this!

Also, I do have a forum thread for this, but it's over at Twilighted in the Post-Eclipse section. If you are a member, feel free to stop by!

(Oh, and guess what? I came out of the fic writing closet to the hubs! He has been VERY supportive! Mr. Awesome has earned his name! This means more writing and FASTER UPDATES!)

Now, go review!


	11. The Cottage

A/N: Thank you so much for the amazing feedback! I'm happy to see even more reviews and am so thrilled replying to them all. I hope this was a faster update, I'm really trying to get on it now that it's not a dirty dark secret around my house.

I hope you all like this new chapter, it sort of took on a life of its own and really got away from me. I honestly don't think very far ahead with this story, and some of these developments just sort of materialized as I was writing. In the past those have always ended up being some of the best parts, so I hope that's the case again. When I started this I intended for there to be much more sexy times, but if I had included everything I wanted then I think this chapter would have been 50 pages! (Due to the needed break, I am contemplating picking up chapter 12 as a 'part 2'. You'll have to review and let me know what you think of the idea!)

Enough babbling, on with the vampy vamp sexin!

**Disclaimer: SM owns everything. These were her plot bunnies first. I just wanted to make them hump like... well... bunnies. ;)**

_I'm not gonna lie, I'll not be a gentleman_

_Behind the boathouse, I'll show you my dark secret_

_I'm not gonna lie, I want you for mine_

_My blushing bride_

_My lover... be my lover, yeah_

_Don't be afraid, I didn't mean to scare you_

_So help me, Jesus_

_I can promise you... you'll stay as beautiful_

_With dark hair, and soft skin... forever_

_Forever_

_Make up your mind, make up your mind_

_And I'll promise you, I will treat you well_

_My sweet angel_

_So help me, Jesus_

"_Possum Kingdom" ~ The Toadies_

I tried really hard not to laugh.

Really _really_ hard.

I mean, the situation wasn't funny at all. She truly could have killed him, and since he refused to defend himself against her, he would have let her.

But I'll be damned if watching Bella getting ready to tear Jacob a new asshole wasn't one of the best things I'd seen in years.

She had been absolutely appalled when she put together for herself what we had all been sworn to secrecy over, and quite frankly too nervous to tell her. Jacob had imprinted on her daughter, and she was rightfully pissed.

I could see it in her face the moment the thought occurred to her. Everything had been going so well, she was finally holding Renesmee and experiencing the joy of her gift, Bella's control firmly in place.

Then that mutt had to go and mess it all up. _Fucking mongrel!_

He had been hovering too closely, overly concerned with Bella's control around the baby. He had only held out for a few minutes before he'd started trying to pry her out of Bella's arms. Imprinted or not, I had finally had enough.

"Just because I understand it, it doesn't mean I won't throw you out, Jacob. Bella's doing extraordinarily well. Don't ruin the moment for her," I hissed at him. I know he could detect the threat in my voice, but he was acting as if he were a man possessed, which I suppose he was. I watched Bella look from Renesmee to Jacob, saw her noting the loving and possessive look on his face, and then I saw the realization dawn in her eyes.

"No!" she gasped.

_Now you're in for it, you stupid dog. You should have let me tell her earlier._

We all watched as Bella began stalking him towards the door, crouched and ready to strike at any moment. I didn't have to be able to hear her thoughts to know how absolutely livid she was.

She kept after him, out the front door and into the yard. Angry, snarling, yelling. _Glorious._

"Pay up," Emmett chuckled, slapping me on the back. We had bet a hundred dollars on whether or not Bella would attack him when she learned the truth. I had more faith in her control than he did, but this was quickly becoming one bet that I might not mind losing.

We watched her close the distance, watched Seth and Leah both appear to protect him, watched Jacob tell them to back off. Jacob whined and stammered excuses while Bella's reactions were getting more and more heated as she screamed and snarled her fury at him.

_Breathtaking._

"Stop her, Edward, she'll be unhappy if she hurts him." Esme was always thinking ahead, looking out for all of us, but I couldn't bring myself to move. I was hypnotized by the graceful predator prowling our lawn.

_It's not exactly as if you __**want**__ to stop her, either._ True.

I didn't want to stop her.

Part of me wanted to prove to everyone else just how strong her control already was, while a darker side of me...

_Rip his fucking throat out, Bella!_

I was drawn again to her lithe form as she edged closer to her target. She was still in her tattered gown, but she had covered herself up with my now buttonless shirt, tying it closed below her ribcage to hide the most obvious gaps in the bodice. I watched as the slick material fell from her shapely thighs where she had torn it earlier. Those thighs... they were making me wonder how tight she would grip me between them later. Sooner, rather than later, if I had my way.

A sharp growl from Bella brought me back to the situation at hand. Well, the situation at hand being that everything she was doing was driving me insane with lust, not just her legs. I could, and very well planned to, listen to her growl all night long.

"Amazing, isn't she?" I murmured to myself, not even realizing that I had said it aloud.

"I know!" Carlisle exclaimed, "She hasn't gone for his throat even once!" He was completely enthralled with Bella's amazing control, so I didn't have the heart to tell him that her control was the last thing I was thinking of.

I should have stopped her sooner. I should have intervened. I should be more upset that she finally did lunge at his throat, but I wasn't. I was more bothered by the fact that Seth had gotten hurt while protecting Jacob, jumping in the way and suffering a broken collarbone for his efforts.

I couldn't stop apologizing to him later as Carlisle patched him up, but the smile never quite left my face. No matter how sorry I was for Seth, I kept seeing the look on Jacob's face when Bella finally made her move. It was just priceless.

Even Emmett, who had been about to give me my money back for Bella not attacking when she finally jumped at him, stopped and whispered in my ear, "Dude! Double or nothing that kid shits his pants!"

"No bet." I was barely holding my laughter at bay as Emmett grumbled and put the money back in his pocket.

…..............................................................................................................................

After the drama had died down and Bella was calm again, she resumed her visit with Renesmee. She held her closely for hours, allowing her to send her mental images about her memories. They made a beautiful picture together, the two women who ruled my world. Just looking at them made my chest ache.

Somehow I managed to pull myself away from the touching scene in order to seek out the answers for a few questions I had after our little hunting excursion. I found who I was looking for in his office, entering data that he'd collected from measuring Renesmee into his computer.

"Any changes, yet?" I asked from the doorway. He glanced over at me, almost an afterthought as he finished typing a few notes.

"Well, there is still a steady growth taking place, but she seems to have slowed down slightly compared to the measurements from this morning." He spoke to his monitor, but he knew I was still there. I hovered at the door, knowing that I would not have his full attention for anything other than this topic until he was finished.

"That's good, isn't it?" I asked, hoping to quell some of the fears we all had surrounding Renesmee's rapid physical changes.

"It certainly isn't bad. There is just so much that we have no way of knowing right now. The unknown is our enemy, it seems." He glanced at my face and back to the screen again. "But other than that, she is the portrait of health. She is thriving and full of vitality. I don't wish to cause you alarm by making these calculations, Edward."

"No, I know that. I am very grateful that you are being so thorough. I don't know that I would have caught as much as you have by now." I watched as he flipped over another page of notes and rapidly entered the data, his hands a blur on the keyboard.

We continued with some small talk as he finished, even briefly touching on the topic of Bella's control and how he was beginning to wonder if it wasn't actually a manifestation of a 'gift'. As he spoke he jotted down a quick note to check into the idea further. He had many friends in the world with a vast amount of experience. He felt certain that someone might have heard of it before and could possibly shed some light on the situation.

He suddenly stopped typing.

"There! All updated." He turned to face me. "Now, what can I do for you, son? I get the impression that you have other things to discuss."

"Actually Carlisle, I was hoping that I might have a word with you about Bella."

"Has something happened?" His body went on alert, ready to jump at the word.

"No, nothing bad. At least I hope not. I really just had some questions about... what to expect now." He visibly relaxed.

"Alright. Of course," he smiled. "Please come in and have a seat. Close the door if you like." I knew that it wouldn't matter in terms of a sound barrier, everyone in this house could probably hear anything we said if they chose to listen, but I closed the door anyway as a request for privacy. I could only hope that it would be observed.

"Well..." I stalled, fighting off my embarrassment. "I have been thinking about some things since I took her hunting earlier and we were finally... alone. I wasn't prepared for the amazing control that she has been showing. I thought that she would only want to feed, but apparently... _all_ of her desires are intact. And intensified. And it made me realize that I have no clue what to expect with her like this. I've only known her as a human."

"Alright, then. That makes sense. You are entering a completely new area with Bella now. There are bound to be things you don't understand. Did something happen that has you troubled?"

"Troubled may be too strong a word for it," I replied. "Puzzled, possibly."

"Can you tell me, or is it too personal?" He was always very considerate of boundaries.

"No, I don't think this crosses any lines. We didn't... make love... today... not yet. Almost... and I wasn't expecting that, but what puzzled me was my... reaction to her. I knew that when we finally did again that it would be very powerful, but the urges I experienced just for the small time we were together were rather shocking to me." I looked at him and saw his patient face waiting for me to continue. When I was still silent after a moment he prodded a bit.

"How were you shocked, Edward? Was it simply the power of the urges you felt? Because I can attest that when you are finally with your life mate, it can be extremely overwhelming."

"No, I knew that. I remember when you found Esme." Carlisle smiled fondly. "And we _all_ remember when Rosalie found Emmett." We shared a quiet chuckle.

"Yes Edward, but there is a difference between knowing and experiencing. Are you sure that's not all it is?"

"There is a specific reaction that I was shocked by. There was a moment earlier when I felt a powerful urge to... bite her. But there was no scent of her blood fueling me. I just had a striking need for-"

"Control?" he interrupted.

"Yes! Why is that? I thought that I would lose any of those urges now that she is like me."

"Did you bite her?" he asked softly, a knowing look in his eye.

"No! I have spent so long avoiding that, I certainly didn't want to harm her now!" I was surprised that he thought so little of my self discipline.

"Son... you are truly stronger than I have ever given you credit for."

"What do you mean by that?" I was more puzzled now than ever.

"I didn't have this discussion with you yet because I also thought that we had a bit more time before Bella was... focused again. What you are describing is _instinct_. It is an instinct older than almost any other. The only driving need that you have had to deal with so far has been the urge to feed. And more recently, the urge to feed on Bella. Would you agree?"

"Yes," I said, waiting for more.

"I have my own theories about your reaction to her blood. A part of me has always wondered if perhaps you craved Bella's blood above all others due to this very need for control that we are speaking of now. As if somehow your body recognized its true partner in her, and your senses reacted accordingly. What other way to make you claim your mate than this driving need for her blood, this urge to bite her?"

"What are you getting at, Carlisle?"

"These are only theories, mind you, but the comparisons are striking. The only factor that changed was that she was human. So you wanted not only to bite, but to feed."

"Are you saying that this biting urge is... natural? Even now?"

"I'm saying that the only urge for others like us that would parallel the need to feed is the need to claim your mate. If, of course, you are one who is lucky enough to _find_ your true mate. We have all been unbelievably lucky in that regard. There are many who do not know this joy."

"_Claiming a mate?_ You make it sound as if we were no better than those wolves. As if we also imprint."

"It's not quite as universal for us as the imprinting is for them. Many of us can choose who we want to spend our lives with... but once that choice is made... the urge to _claim_, for lack of any better word, begins to take over. Many who find each other are already older vampires, so they notice these feelings as soon as things begin to get more... physical.

Then there are newborns, as both Esme and Emmett were. They both needed their time to mature, but when that time came, so did the instinct. I was rather... taken aback by the feelings this caused in me for Esme. It would seem as though you have always felt these urges for Bella, right from the very start. Only _now_ are they taking their true form."

"What do I need to be prepared for, here?" I was starting to get worried.

I flashed briefly to the moment when Bella had nipped at my earlobe. It had stung, but it was a _good_ sting. It was _pleasurable_. In fact, when thinking back, every single time she had ever bitten me had made me react rather... passionately.

_Biting was somehow OK? _

"You will need to understand that what you felt today was only the tip of the iceberg." He looked at me closely, making sure that I was paying attention. "This will happen again, and each time is stronger."

"But what _is_ it, exactly?"

"As I said earlier, it is instinct. Pure and simple. We are ruled by our instincts. We are predators in every sense. Animals. Perhaps one of the most highly evolved, but animals all the same. Unlike humans, who have chosen to forget their baser needs, we are driven by ours. Whether we are hunting or defending ourselves, we are led by our instincts.

The same applies once we add love into the equation. Since we are very powerful creatures, when two of us join and express that love in the most instinctive way possible, there tends to be a sort of... battle for dominance. It starts with these new urges to control, to bite, to prove you are stronger. Even if the male tries to fight this urge, usually before too long the female will test her limits and push for control. This will awaken a need in the male to fight back, forcing her into submission."

"You are making this sound very Wild Kingdom right now, Carlisle. I don't want to dominate Bella, I want her as an equal." _Didn't I?_

"Edward, it's unavoidable. How can I put this politely?" He thought for a moment. "When it comes to that time, if you cannot take control of her, she will not see you as _her_ equal. It is this way throughout much of nature. She will want a partner who is stronger than she is, who can protect her. How can a female respect someone she can best?"

"So I have to act like a Neanderthal? Club her over the head and drag her back to the cave?" I was more than a bit insulted.

"Not quite so violent, Edward," he smiled, "but there will be a battle of wills. You won't be able to help yourself."

"Why have I never heard of this before? Why have you never mentioned this?"

"It was quite shocking to me as well, and I had to find out for myself. It's a rather private thing that only occurs between true mates. It is one of those things that goes on behind closed doors and can take a long time to make sense of. I'm not accustomed to discussing it with others and I honestly didn't know if I would ever need to have this talk with you. I would have let you figure it out on your own save one reason; I know that you will go to any lengths to avoid biting Bella. It has become second nature to you by now. You would have a long road ahead of you if I didn't tell you right now that this is the time to _un_learn that behavior."

"So that means that you and Esme..." I let the words trail off, surprised as I thought of Carlisle the pacifist being anything other than cordial and loving to his wife.

"I'm not exactly proud of it. There has never been an urge that I haven't been able to fight before. For me, it is even stronger than the need to feed. The challenge does not happen as frequently once the powerful need for each other begins to be more manageable, but it still occurs from time to time. And every single time... even now," he got a far away look in his eye that hinted of passionate memories while a smirk played at his mouth, "I take the bait like a sucker."

"Well, _Mating Rituals of the Common Vampire_ aside, how am I supposed to stand up against Bella when she has the strength of a newborn?"

"This will pose a problem for you if she decides to... test you... very soon. None of us expected her to be so... recognizable. By all rights she really shouldn't be so coherent right now, and craving _those_ things should be months, if not years away. It's unprecedented. Has she made any sort of advance towards you yet that you would take as a challenge?"

"No. I just felt the urge to bite her, but only in reaction to the proximity of her neck. Like before she was turned, but rather than feeding, I had an unexplainable need to..." _How should I put it?_

"To 'show her who's boss?' Would that be accurate?" I hung my head in shame.

"Yes," I whispered. Carlisle chuckled lightly and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Son... it's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's how you are programmed. It has happened to all of us here. I can only assume the same goes for Jasper and Alice. He has never approached me with his concerns the way that Emmett has, but I have a sneaking suspicion that he didn't get _all_ of those scars on the battlefield." He leaned forward conspiratorially and whispered, "We just take care to hide ours better."

"But... the sting of the venom? Doesn't it hurt you both?" I could not fathom the idea of hurting Bella, who I had protected at all costs until now.

"There is a mild discomfort at first, but after a while you become almost immune to it. As if you truly are a part of each other. It's difficult to admit, but... it's a _good_ kind of pain. I hope that makes sense and I don't need to elaborate."

"No. No elaboration needed." I really didn't want to think about how buck wild my 'parents' liked to get in bed.

"Good. Now, from what you've described, it sounds as if you are still in the early stages. You may be safe for a while. However, the urge _will_ get stronger, and before too long Bella _will_ begin pushing you. It may start small, it may be a full on assault. We have no way to gauge her actions since everything about her change has been so different. All you can do is try to be prepared." He stood and walked me to the door.

"Thank you, Carlisle, for everything." As I went to leave the room he placed his hand on my arm to stop me, a look of concern on his face.

"I must warn you, Edward, it can get _very_ rough. With Bella's strength... you may have to use more force than seems necessary. I know this will be extremely difficult for you with your history with Bella, but you must believe me when I tell you that _she will welcome it_. Don't hold back." With that he closed the door.

I was left standing in the hall, staring at the door, my head swimming with all of the new information I had just received.

_She will welcome it._

Was I going to be up for this? I had been longing to make love to Bella with no restrictions since the very first moment I sank inside of her delicious wet heat. Having things get a _little_ rough was expected. But like this?

Could I do this? Would I be able to let myself go enough to give her what she wanted?

_Don't hold back._

Carlisle's words kept replaying in my mind as I walked to the front room. I found the perfect picture of mother and child just as I had left it, only now the baby was sleeping and Bella was spying on Renesmee's dreams by holding her tiny palm to her face. She was being so gentle and loving with her that it was almost impossible to think of the conversation I'd just been having.I couldn't help remembering that she'd been surprising everyone with her control all day.

_Perhaps she will be the exception and not behave the way Carlisle warned me about._

Just then she looked up at me and our eyes met from across the room. To say they were smoldering would be an understatement. Her expression had gone from complete contentment to agitated in a split second, as if my presence had reminded her fickle emotions that she was still sexually frustrated from earlier.

_OK... perhaps not._

Just then I sensed that Alice was approaching from the woods, followed closely by Esme, Emmett and Jasper. I knew what they were up to, and I was excited to see what Bella's reaction would be. I was also very relieved to know that we would be able to finally have some proper alone time. I refused to let my worries about what that might include dampen my excitement. We had both been waiting for this for so long. I also loved any opportunity to shower her with presents. I just needed to spend the rest of my days getting her to love receiving them.

As they entered the house we all collected together again, watching Bella expectantly. I could tell that she was nervous, not knowing what was going on and seeing it was quite obvious that everyone else did.

Alice bounded up to her and squealed, "Happy Birthday!" holding out a key with a large pink ribbon tied to it. The usual protestations followed, including her denying that she even had a birthday since she had physically stopped aging three days ago. Then Alice and I argued over who got to give their gift first, but I eventually caved, knowing that it was a lost cause. I knew that Bella wouldn't fully appreciate her new car anyway, so I decided to let Alice have her way and lead her to her present.

Not to mention there was that whole _alone time_ thing to consider.

…........................................................................................................................................

Bella shocked us all. She _loved_ the cottage.

Everyone but Alice had actually stayed behind to give us our privacy, but I knew they would be just as shocked as we were when Alice delivered the news. Poor Esme had been so worried that she wouldn't like it, or that she would have wanted to pick things out for herself, but I was happy to see genuine pleasure on her face when Alice uncovered her eyes.

She had been speechless. I had never seen her so touched by anything that my family had done for her, and she was always blown away by their generosity. After making sure that Bella was happy, Alice gave her the key and strict instructions to use her fully stocked closet very carefully before she slipped away into the night, finally leaving us alone.

Bella seemed puzzled by her leaving at first until I explained that _alone time_ was another gift for us. That perked her up pretty quickly, and as I took her hand to lead her up the path I felt that familiar electric current flowing between us again.

She giggled nervously, as if her mind were somewhere else, and when I asked her what was so funny she told me that it was still so hard to contemplate a day that would never end, that she would never need to sleep or be tired.

"You're such a natural at this, Bella; I forget how very strange this all must be for you. I wish I could _hear_ it!" I wanted a window into her mind more at that moment than about any other we'd shared. I wanted to know how she was handling all of these changes without snapping. I wanted to know what she was thinking about me, and tonight, and what she might be expecting. I wanted to know if I should be worried or just go with the flow.

It was all very frustrating.

Did I mention how I feel about that?

When she unlocked the door, I leaned down quickly and pulled Bella into my arms so fast that she didn't see it coming. I loved being able to sweep her off her feet without worrying about crushing her.

"Hey!" she squeaked.

"What can I say? Thresholds are part of my job description," I teased. I walked her slowly into the cottage, asking her to tell me every thought that she was having. I carried her through each small area, letting her get a good look, wondering to myself what would be a polite amount of time to wait before I threw her on the bed and ravished her.

_Thirty seconds?_

I pointed out the small second bedroom that we would use for Renesmee... once we actually got her a bed and stopped letting Rose hold her while she slept. Or Jacob. Or Esme. Our daughter hadn't been laid down once since she was born, there were too many eager arms to hold her. It made me feel proud that something we had made had already brought so much love into our family's lives.

Once I got to our bedroom I was amazed at how little I was worrying about anything other than getting back inside of Bella's beautiful body. The electric current continued to flow through us until I felt as if the hairs on my neck were standing on end. I put her down just inside the door to the room and turned on the light.

"Esme tried to bring some of her island back here for us. She guessed that we would get attached." We stood there taking it all in, letting the colors and decorations remind us of those two blissful weeks that seemed so long ago. It was like our own private beach resort. A small slice of Heaven.

"Oh," was all that Bella could manage, looking at the bed with fond memories.

"I know," I whispered.

I was thinking the exact same thing.

I quickly pointed out the closet to her and warned her of its immense size, knowing that it dwarfed our own room by leaps and bounds. I noticed that Bella didn't even glance towards where I had pointed, but had instead chosen to focus all of her attention on my lips as I spoke.

I watched her watching me. Her eyes had become large black coals outlined with faint traces of red. Her tongue flicked at her lips so quickly that anyone else would have missed it. Her nostrils contracted rapidly, inhaling the scents surrounding us. I could practically hear the air around us beginning to sizzle with our unharnessed electricity.

She began closing the minuscule distance between us, her hands sliding up my arms and around my neck. I was frozen where I stood, too aroused to think clearly and utter even one word. Her heated gaze and the scent of her spiking arousal had crumbled any tiny remnants of my restraint.

"We're going to tell Alice that I ran right to the clothes," she whispered, twisting her fingers through my hair and pulling my face down to hers. "We're going to tell her I spent hours in there playing dress-up." I couldn't speak. The spark in my body had turned into a flame and it was burning through my limbs, getting more out of control by the second. "We're going to _lie_."

I couldn't focus on anything but her mouth as she spoke, so I didn't have the wits to tell her that Alice knew damn well what was going on in here tonight, and that she could lie all she wanted but it would be pointless. _Everyone_ knew what was going to be happening here tonight.

As she finished speaking, Bella pressed herself into me more firmly, crushing her breasts against my chest and tightening her hold on my hair. It stung. It felt incredible. She shifted slightly, rubbing her abdomen back and forth across the now painful erection that was straining against the fabric of my pants, a questioning look on her face... as if she were asking if it was _finally_ time.

_Yes..._

I froze, dragging my gaze from her full lips to her eyes. I made a quick search for any apprehension, and when none was found, I finally let go of the reins.

I grabbed her face and pulled her to me fiercely, my mouth crashing down on hers. I moaned deeply, finally able to taste her sweetness again. I slid my tongue against her soft lips seeking entrance. She groaned as she parted her lips with an agonizing slowness, her eyes fluttering closed at the first sensation of our slick tongues sliding together. I slipped inside, flicking at the roof of her mouth, feeling for every hidden bit of soft flesh that had been denied to me before now. She had a different taste inside her cheek, and the flavor beneath her tongue was hypnotic.

Bella returned the kiss in kind, seeking out every dark recess of my mouth. She sucked deeply on my tongue and a shiver ran through my body. My fingers had threaded through her hair, holding her to me so tightly that any retreat would have been impossible. When she slid her tongue between my lip and the front of my teeth a violent growl was torn from me.

_Fuck! That feels incredible!_

I knew that I'd always wanted to know every inch of her body, but I had never realized how badly I'd wanted her to explore all of me in return.

As the kiss grew in intensity, we both began grabbing at each other's clothes. I think that I had meant to simply help remove her shirt, but by the time my hands made contact with the material I was frantic with need. Without even looking I heard the fabric tear, always kissing, always tasting. Feeling for the flimsy bodice of her dress now, sliding my fingers over her breasts until they met in the middle, grabbing at the satin. She sucked on my tongue more roughly as a loud rip echoed in the room and I finally freed her luscious body to my touch.

I went to reach for her, still connected to her magical mouth, when I realized that my own arms were surrounded with loose, tattered material. Bella had been shredding at my own clothes as I focused on hers. I felt her hands slide over my chest until she had gripped the shirt more firmly and yanked it open roughly, sending buttons flying once again. I shrugged out of the torn mess, dumping it on the floor to finally free my arms.

I hadn't even looked at her properly, I was so drugged by her kisses. I just couldn't bring myself to break the connection yet; I needed to breathe her in, to swallow her whole. I felt like I was getting drunk on her mouth. She seemed to feel the same way, mewling and grunting around my tongue as her hands pulled at me frantically, trying to somehow squeeze us even closer together.

Somehow my hands finally found her through my dizziness, grasping onto her firm white flesh. I pulled back enough to see her perfect porcelain breasts surrounded by my fingers. She felt so different now. So strong. I groped at her roughly, watching the pale pink buds harden to tight peaks.

_MINE!_

Bella took that brief pause in our kissing as a chance to shift her focus. I quickly felt her hands slide down my chest, leaving flames in her wake. She grabbed at my belt, tugging and pulling me closer as she tried to make sense of the clasp through her lust-addled mind. As soon as I looked back up at her I zoned in on her mouth again, so I slid my hands around her waist and clamped down on her bare ass, pulling her into me roughly as I assaulted her lips once more. Even though she returned my kiss with equal fervor, she refused to let go of my belt, becoming angrier by the second that one final barrier stood between us.

"Just rip it!" I growled against her mouth, eager to feel every inch of her body against mine. I heard a loud tear as the leather gave way, followed quickly by the ripping fabric of my slacks. I felt the material pool around my feet as the cool breeze drifted over my now exposed legs and my erection sprang up between us. Bella let out a triumphant cry around my tongue as her strong grip closed on my aching shaft.

And squeezed.

_Oh sweet holy fuck! _

Groaning loudly, I forced my eyes open long enough to glance at the bed. It was almost five feet away.

It might as well have been five miles.

There was no way we were going to make it that far. Perhaps later, but this insanity between us had reached a fever pitch. I needed to be inside of her body as badly as she needed to feel me there. I was going to have my wife, and I was going to have her now... Right. Fucking. Here.

I grabbed onto Bella's shoulders and pulled, never breaking contact with her lips as we sank to the floor. We fell together in a crumpled heap of fabric and flesh, our bodies already starting to writhe against each other, knowing that salvation was so close.

I kissed my way down along her jawline, licking and sucking at her neck as my hands stroked over her swollen nipples again. I pinched each plump tip between my fingers before dragging my hands down further to her hips, still sucking hungrily at her throat. Her taste was so potent there, I felt as if I could feast for hours on her skin. Bella moaned loudly and ground her body up against mine, arching her neck, almost as if in offering.

_Bite her. _No.

_Fucking bite her! Now!_

No! Not yet... I don't want this to be about that yet. I just want us to enjoy each other first.

I moved away from her throat for now, trying to avoid temptation. I slid back up to her hungry mouth, feeding her my tongue in swift deep thrusts. She swirled hers around mine and bucked her hips against me. I was desperate to sink myself deep inside of her, but I wanted to make sure that she was ready for me. I dragged my fingers between us until I found her soft folds, dripping and slick with her juices.

_So fucking wet. So hungry for me. Mine! Mine! MINE!_

"Oh God!" she gasped, jumping at the touch of my fingers.

"Are you ready for me, Bella?" I asked, already knowing the answer. I raised my hand up to my lips and as I looked her in the eye, I sucked my fingers clean. "It certainly tastes like you are," I growled, feeling my cock somehow swell even more at the taste of her nectar.

"Edward!" she cried. "Now! Don't make me wait any longer!"

No. No more waiting. It had definitely been long enough.

I grabbed her hips and shifted her slightly underneath me, pulling her legs open wider and lifting her thighs to a higher angle. I reached between us quickly and positioned myself at her entrance, already feeling the moisture rubbing against me. I looked into her eyes, wanting to see everything there at the very moment I entered her. Her love. Her lust. Her need. Her hunger.

I was not disappointed.

I thrust deeply, sinking to the hilt in one swift movement.

_Oh my fucking God! _

We both cried out with shock at the sudden invasion. Bella at the sensation of being filled so completely, me at the sensation of pure bliss. I knew that I could remember doing this before. It hadn't even been a month since our last encounter... but I didn't remember anything that had felt this good. I looked at Bella, quickly making sure that she was alright out of habit.

"Edward, don't you DARE stop now!" she yelled, wrapping her legs around my hips and gripping me tightly.

She seemed alright to me.

I pulled back slightly and sank deep again, loving this extreme tightness surrounding me. I braced myself above her on my arms, looking down at her as I rocked into her again even harder. She brought her arms up around my back, sliding them up and down my muscles as they tightened above her while I moved inside her.

"Oh!" She looked at me with surprise. "Edward... oh... you feel so... _warm!_"She had always needed to become accustomed to the cold of my skin in the past, but now we felt the same to each other. She still felt hot to me where we were joined, but it was a different kind of heat.

"Oh God, yes! Oh... Edward!" she moaned, rolling her hips back into me, meeting each of my thrusts with a delicious eagerness. I kept waiting for that feeling that she had hit her limit, but it never came. Bella was no longer the fragile little human, and I no longer had to feel like a bull in a china shop. That was why when she cried out, "Harder! Oh please... harder!" I didn't say no.

"You want it harder, Bella?" I ground out between my teeth, feeling the flames in my eyes. I pulled further out, shoving myself back inside her body with more force than I had ever dared. She met me at each thrust, never backing down. I felt her tight muscles gripping me, squeezing me, milking me as her juices flowed freely, conducting the electricity between us straight from my body into hers.

Never feeling as if I were deep enough, I couldn't fight the urge to cram myself inside her at ever-tightening angles. I shifted to lean back on my knees, holding her legs firmly in place around my waist as I thrust again, looking down at her beautiful body and watching myself slide in and out of her. I could see her glistening fluids coating me as I pulled out, and then I watched as her muscles stretched wide to take me back inside again.

It was one of the most erotic things I had ever seen.

I shifted angles again, this time bringing one of her legs up and over my shoulder as I leaned forward over her, bracing my weight on my hands at her sides. I watched as Bella's face reacted to this new position, knowing that she was feeling herself folded around me with a new, more intense friction.

"Can you handle this, Bella?" I growled at her, knowing very well that she could. "Do you want more?" I ground into her with an agonizing slowness, hitting every spot I knew inside of her and finding even more.

"Yes... oh fuck, yes!" she gasped, suddenly lifting her other leg up, matching the first one now on my other shoulder. I was now bent over her, leaning against her legs and practically bending her back in half. She grabbed onto my forearms for leverage and bucked against me, taking me so deep inside her that I felt as if I would touch her soul.

_So wet so tight so perfect so MINE!_

This new angle brought my cock tight up against her front wall, and each new thrust rubbed against her with a delicious friction that I knew was going to drive us both over the edge. As I rocked into her even harder, I felt her inner muscles beginning to clamp down on me and her body started to shake.

"Are you going to come for me, Bella? I need to feel you come for me," I panted, feeling my own release fast approaching. I ground into her harder, faster, feeling myself hit that rough bundle of nerves inside of her over and over again.

"Yes! Oh yes, Edward! You feel so fucking good!" she cried.

"You feel even better," I moaned, barely holding on, needing her to finish before I could let myself go.

"Come with me, Edward. I don't want to finish without you this time! This is so perfect, I want to finish together." I sped up my movements, trying to catch up to her, but she was already there. My faster pace set her off, triggering something deep inside of her. She exploded around me, clamping down on me like a vice. "Oh my God!" she screamed, shaking violently underneath me.

_So good so good so fucking good_

I was just beginning to finish, finally able to join her, when suddenly Bella reared up and growled, "I fucking said to come with me!" and promptly sank her teeth deep into my collarbone.

I threw my head back and let loose something that was a mix between a scream and a growl. The burning sting was instantaneous, and so was my orgasm. Feeling her teeth break the skin was agonizing, but it was _exquisite_.

"Holy fuck!" I screamed, shoving even harder into her as I began to explode inside of her body.

Suddenly, I wasn't only filled with extreme pleasure, but also with an unexplainable anger.

_You did NOT just let her fucking do that to you! Put her in her place right fucking now!_

I leaned back on my knees, carrying her with me, teeth still lodged in my skin, until her legs slid back down around my waist. I was still thrusting deep into her, not able to stop, feeling another climax fast approaching. I reached up and twisted her hair in my hand, low at the base of her skull, and yanked her head back roughly until I could make her look me in the eye.

Her eyes were wild, but they were also full of challenge.

_Bite her bite her bite her bite bite bite BITE!_

And for the very first time, I gave in to the urge completely.

Letting out a loud growl, I pulled her head back even farther until she was arched back and I brought my teeth down on the column of her neck, right where that fucking blue vein had always taunted me in the past. I felt them slice through her flesh, felt my venom start to run freely.

_YES! This is where you have always belonged. Planted deep within her body with your teeth in her skin!_

Bella screamed, but at the same time she brought her hand to the back of my head and held me tight to her. She began shaking again, rocking into me more roughly than she ever had before, exploding in another climax at the exact same moment my second orgasm hit me. I pumped my seed deep inside of her as I felt her groan of pleasure vibrate against my mouth, my own moan slipping out around my teeth.

I finally released her when we were both finished, and we crumpled to the floor beside each other.

The remorse hit me immediately.

I turned to look at her, but the apology that was ready on my lips froze when I saw her face.

She was smiling. A deep, satisfied smile, like the cat who ate the canary.

"That was amazing, Edward," she gasped, then rolled over and curled into my side with her head on my chest.

I laid there staring at the ceiling for a while, Bella tracing lazy patterns against the skin of my chest.

She wasn't angry.

She wasn't scared.

She was... _pleased._

_I think I might have passed my first test._

_................................................................................................................................................................................................................................._

End notes: OK boys & girls... (boys? yeah right!) You know what to do now, right? Hit that little old review button and let me know what your thoughts are. I worked really hard on this and I have been desperate to deliver a decent first time vampy lovin chapter. There will be more... oh yes, there will be more. I was serious earlier when I said I was interested in your thoughts about making the next chapter 'The Cottage part 2'.

Let me know!


	12. The Cottage Pt Deux: Electric Boogaloo

WARNING: HERE THERE BE LEMONS!!!!!! Seriously. No joke.

While certain parts of this chapter lean towards a little bit of rough play, that is all that it is. While our dear Edward hardly seems to understand what's going on, himself, I have tried to make it very clear that everything is CONSENTUAL. (it's probably nowhere near bad enough to need that note, but I'm not taking any chances)

That being said... WHEW! This took me way longer than I thought to write. This is a continuation of the last chapter, picking up where we left our two crazy kids, crumpled up in post-coital bliss on the floor of the cottage.

If you came here looking for anything resembling a plot, you may want to keep on walking. This has seriously turned into one enormous lemon. I wanted to show the frantic need that they feel for each other that was only hinted at in BD. So I kept going. And going. And going. Now I'm the energizer bunny over here, and these two are going to start chafing pretty soon!

I don't normally write smut for smut's sake, I try to have it mean SOMETHING to the plot, but aside from the really naughty bits at the end that tie into the last chapter, it's just smut.

You've been warned!

******Disclaimer: Stephenie owns it all. Would I seriously have sat up all night writing this just to post it here and pray for reviews if I did?**

_I can sense it_

_Something important_

_Is about to happen_

_It's coming up_

_It takes courage to enjoy it_

_The hardcore and the gentle_

_Big time sensuality_

"_Big Time Sensuality" ~ Bjork_

One would think that I would feel sated.

One would think that I would have nothing left to give after that intense bout of lovemaking.

One would be wrong.

I laid there on the floor, my body entwined with Bella's, reveling in the memory of what we had just done. Although I was already starving for more, I tried to make my body behave, accustomed to needing to give Bella adequate time to recover from her climactic coma. I waited for her movements to still and her breathing to deepen, but the heaviness never settled into her limbs. I waited for her exploring fingers to slow, but to my increasing pleasure they kept traveling further down my abdomen, outlining every muscle and leaving fiery tracks along my skin. I couldn't suppress a light chuckle at the odd yet amazing turn of events.

"What's so funny?" Bella whispered, her cheek still resting against my chest as she watched her fingers at play.

"I just realized that I was waiting for you to fall asleep," I smiled, kissing the back of her head as I stroked lazy circles down her bare back.

"Never again," she sighed. "Will you miss it? It's still such a strange concept to me." She shifted slightly and peppered my chest with soft kisses, stopping to flick at my nipple with the tip of her tongue. My cock twitched in response.

"Miss it?" I had to concentrate for a moment on her question, the combined actions of her tongue and her fingertips making me feel almost lightheaded. "Um... no. No, I don't think so. I mean, I enjoyed watching you when you were so peaceful, and I was always hoping for small glimpses into your dreams as you talked in your sleep- ouch!" Bella jabbed me sharply in the ribcage.

"Peeping Tom," she mumbled through an audible grin.

"Hey, I'm only being honest. I had to get inside your head somehow. Anyway, as much as I enjoyed those moments..." My hand crept lower down her backside until I was cupping her ass firmly. "I'd much rather have you all to myself... all night long."

"Mmm..." she moaned, shifting against me more fully. "That does sound... how did you put it? _Not unpleasant._" Bella lifted her foot higher, sliding up against the length of my shin until her thigh was draped over mine, her wet heat nestled firmly against my hip. She avoided brushing against my aching erection, clearly on purpose, as it strained even further back towards her over my stomach and begged for her attention. Her fingertips trailed lower... lower still... circling my navel repeatedly... only to begin their ascent once again.

"Edward?"

"Mmmhmm?" I could do little more than mumble in response. All of my attention had gravitated to those torturous fingertips.

_Just a little bit lower... lower... lower... lower_

"Um... did we actually... earlier, I mean..." I could hear the bashfulness in her voice, but those damn fingers kept up their lazy pattern, getting dangerously closer with each rotation. Her nails scratched at me softly as they moved, dragging through the light coating of hair on my skin.

_Almost there. Don't stop. Keep going._

"Yes? Did we what?" Scratch. Scrape. Drag.

_Touch it. Just touch it. Oh __**please**__ touch it._

"Did we really bite each other?" That got my attention. I looked down to find her staring up at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of what looked like hope and fear.

"You don't remember?" I couldn't believe that. So much of what was keeping me sane at the moment was the knowledge that she had been a happy participant in that.

"It's not that I don't _remember_... it's just that it seemed almost like a dream. Does that make sense?" Her brow furrowed with unease.

"Yes, that actually makes perfect sense. It felt like I was in a trance." Just thinking of it brought all of the memories flooding back. The taste of her flesh against my tongue. The feeling of my teeth finally breaking through that porcelain membrane, sinking into her throat and clamping down. The resistance of her strong new tendons against my jaw as they gave me something to actually bite rather than destroy.

_So good. So deep inside her skin. Deep inside her body... in so many places._

"Exactly! That's a perfect way to describe it. A trance. Why did we do that? I just had this... this _urge_. Why on earth would I bite you? It's not as if I can feed on your blood." She looked more than puzzled; she looked scared.

"Are you terribly upset, Bella?" I hugged her closer to me, trying to lend whatever support I could to help fix this mess that I had made. "I never meant to bite you in return, it just seems as though I can't help it."

"_Upset?_ That you bit _me_?" She looked incredulous. "No!" Apparently I hadn't gotten any better at reading her.

"Then why did you seem scared just now?"

"Well I _was _scared. But not of you... never of you. I was scared of me. Scared that I might have hurt you. Scared that I had no control over my actions." She paused, meeting my gaze again, her own becoming heated. "And absolutely terrified that I loved it. I loved biting you... but I loved you biting me even more." She quirked an eyebrow and slowly licked her lips.

_Fucking hell. I'm going to explode right here on my stomach before she even touches me._

"I'm disturbed by how much I liked it and how little I wanted to stop, and mostly because I just don't understand why it happened. But being upset with you is not an issue." She leaned over and kissed my chest again.

"I couldn't have said that better, myself. I feel the exact same, Bella. Although, I may be able to help fill in the 'why' part for you." I held her and stroked her and tried to ignore the now painful need I was feeling as I told her about the conversation I'd had with Carlisle earlier that day. I left nothing pertinent out, but I did try to give her an abbreviated version. I didn't think that Carlisle would appreciate me giving away any private information without his consent, and I honestly didn't want to relive the mental images of my entire family in various snarling, biting, sexual frenzies.

"So this is just... what we do?" Bella seemed to be handling this much better than I had. Her hand began moving again in her hypnotic patterns as she watched me, waiting for my reply. I could feel her slick folds pressing more firmly against me as she slid her knee up even higher, leaving it to rest right next to where I wanted her to be touching.

_Close, but no cigar._

I would have been tempted to think that she didn't have any idea how seductive she was being at the moment, were it not for the overpowering scent of her arousal that was steadily filling the room and making me feel dizzy.

"Apparently so." I shook my head slightly, trying to break the spell that her scent was having over me. "I've never heard of it before, but Carlisle seems to think that it only happens to couples who have truly... mated, I guess you would say. And it doesn't happen all the time, but it will more often in the beginning."

"And this is something that only female vampires instigate in males? I mean... it's never vice versa? And are there no same sex couples in this world? I find that hard to believe."

"I never thought to ask Carlisle about that. We were only speaking of how this affected the couples in _this_ family. I certainly know that there are same sex pairings in our world. Bisexual, homosexual, polyamorous... there's been just about every kind of pairing you can think of in a world where you never sleep and never die. I suppose it would be the same for them if they were truly committed... one partner would lean towards being the more dominant of the two. I can't say for sure because I've never met any who had settled on one final partner yet, but that goes for most vampires. We are a fickle lot, easily distracted. What we all have between us here is actually quite rare."

"There is so much I don't know yet, Edward. So much that I take for granted. Do you think I am going to take to this life as easily as you have?"

"What?" I snorted. "Bella, you _must_ be joking! I've never seen anyone adjust to this as quickly as you have, and this is still your first day! And anything that I know has taken me a century to learn."

"Well, I know one thing that you apparently haven't learned yet," she purred, a smile playing at her lips.

"Oh really? And what's that?" I reached up and stroked her hair out of her face, falling more deeply into her warm gaze by the second.

"Haven't you ever heard that it's not polite to point?" She glanced down at the swollen shaft that was now arched back against my stomach. It certainly was pointing at her. Reaching for her. Begging for her. I looked down at the thick tip, which was starting to bead with moisture. Now it was weeping for her, too.

"I'm sorry, my dear. Am I being rude?" I smiled wickedly at her, knowing that she was anything but offended.

"Terribly rude!" she giggled.

"Well, how can I be expected to control myself when you keep teasing me like this?" I tilted my head towards her stroking fingertips, lifting an eyebrow in question.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I've never teased you before in my life." She feigned such a look of innocence that I was shocked at how loud my reply was.

"Ha! That's rich!" I laughed, my entire body shaking with mirth. Bella must have decided that my laughter was her cue to shut me up, because in that instant her fingers quickly slid the rest of the way down my abdomen and wrapped around my cock.

"Does this feel like teasing to you?" She squeezed a bit more firmly and leaned over me, pressing her beautiful breasts against my chest as she flicked her tongue over my nipple again. I stopped moving. I stopped breathing. Every nerve ending in my body suddenly felt as if it had migrated to beneath her fingertips.

_Oh fuck! That feels amazing!_

"No," I moaned. "No teasing whatsoever." I laid there motionless as she ran her fingers up and down the length of me. We both watched as she scraped lightly along my sensitive skin, dragging her fingernails up to the tip, then rubbed around the rim of it with her thumb.

"I can't tell you how much I've missed this, Edward," she said, never taking her eyes off of her handiwork. "How much I've missed touching you."

"I've missed it, too," I gasped as she began stroking me in earnest, barely fighting the urge to let my eyes roll back in my head. I didn't want to miss one second of this mesmerizing display.

Bella suddenly shifted, untangling herself until she was sitting up on her knees at my side. I was now torn between looking at the gorgeous view she was providing me of her delectable curves and the steady motion of her squeezing me. However, once she added her other hand until she was successfully double-fisting my erection, the decision was made for me.

_Yesss.... so good... so fucking good!_

"Touching you isn't all I've missed, Edward." She looked back at me over her shoulder as she leaned further over my body. She moved closer until her mouth was hovering directly over the broad tip, her tongue lapping quickly at the pearly fluid that had collected there. She closed her eyes and moaned deeply, "God... you taste positively divine!" Before I had the chance to respond, she opened her succulent mouth wider and slowly swallowed me, inch by agonizing inch. I watched the swollen glans disappear between her soft lips as I penetrated her mouth more fully.

"Bella!" I growled, quickly moving to brace myself up on one elbow to see her better while sinking my other hand into the hair at the back of her head, guiding her movements. She moaned around me and I could feel the vibrations from my head to my toes. I watched as I slid further in and out of her luscious mouth. I couldn't keep my hand from traveling down to the side of her face, stroking my thumb around the edge of her lips, feeling her cheek muscles first hollow and then fill again with everything that I had to give her. "You are so fucking beautiful... everything you do is perfection."

I threw my head back on my shoulders with a loud gasp, finally giving in to the urge to simply _feel_. I felt her mouth bobbing up and down on me. I felt her velvet tongue circling around me each time she moved upwards. On her return movements downwards I could feel myself slipping deeper each time. I began thrusting up to meet her, bumping against the back of her throat. Normally I would have panicked and pulled away, but Bella held onto my thighs tightly and moaned her pleasure, letting me know that everything was fine.

When I opened my eyes again I was nearly undone by the view that was presented to me. Bella had shifted again, angling more towards my legs, so that her spectacular ass was now facing me. Her back was arched and her knees were spread, leaving herself open to my viewing pleasure. I could see the glistening dark curls between her thighs, and as she moved more aggressively the rosy pink flesh of her folds became visible.

_That has got to be the most beautiful pussy in all creation._ Definitely.

I moved my hand to the back of her leg, unable to keep away from the glorious sight before me. I slid my fingers up along her inner thigh muscles, slowing only when I reached the wetness that was waiting for me. She was so excited that she had coated the inside of her legs with her juices. If I looked close enough I could actually see her overflowing, dripping onto my fingertips slowly. I could clearly smell myself there; I didn't know how much fluid was from her and how much was from what I had spilled inside her, but I didn't care. Smelling my scent on the most intimate part of her always fueled my lust even more, waking the most primal, possessive side of me.

_Mine... mine... MINE! MOTHER. FUCKING. MINE! _Yes it fucking is.

I growled deeply as I watched my long, slender fingers slip inside of her. I could feel her inner muscles gripping at me already and I only had two fingers working her. When I added a third she moaned loudly around me, sending more vibrations traveling through my body. I watched as I worked her, my hand moving slowly at first, then faster. Her honey was coating me, dripping down my hand as she began to rock back into me. It was such a hypnotic sight that it was almost enough to make me forget the amazing things that Bella was doing to me with _her_ mouth. Almost.

I could only take a few minutes of watching her squirm against my soaked fingers before I was grabbing at her hips with both hands and dragging her back towards me. I couldn't look at all of that tempting nectar for even one more second without licking up every single drop. The realization dawned on me as I inched her closer that I had yet to feast on my wife properly with no restrictions. That was changing. Right. Fucking. Now.

"What are you doing, Edward?" I heard her moan, startled at my sudden movements.

"Closer!" I growled, dragging her more roughly, pulling her left thigh over my chest until she was straddling me backwards. "I need you here. I need to taste you."

"But, like this? Really?" I could hear the doubt warring with the fascination in her voice. "Don't you want me to finish this first, then we could switch?"

"No! I want to fucking devour you just like this. I'm too greedy for you right now, Bella. I don't want you to stop, but I don't want to wait any longer to eat you up. Now slide that delicious pussy closer and get back to work." My tone left no room for argument. I pulled her a few inches closer until her knees were on either side of my head and her pink, swollen petals were hovering right above my face. I stared for a moment in awe, thinking that even _this_ had somehow become even more glorious than it had been before, which I had thought completely impossible. I knew that I could stare at this secret part of her forever, becoming more lost in her perfection by the second. I inhaled her scent deeply, taking in all of her lust and need and excitement. I could also smell myself on her more clearly now, and it was only making me harder... and hungrier.

_So fucking beautiful. So perfect. So MINE!_

I was pulled from my reverie when I felt Bella settle onto my stomach and slip the tip of my cock between her lips again. Feeling her suck me even deeper into her mouth only fueled my desire to partake of her engorged flesh in return. I reached up around her hips and pulled her down directly onto me, rubbing my face against her, nuzzling deeply until I could smell the most primal part of her lust. I could feel her juices coating me and knew that I had to taste her or I would go insane with want.

I opened my mouth on her without any hesitation for the very first time. With a loud growl that shook the both of us, I lapped hungrily at her, dragging my tongue against her soft folds repeatedly. She tasted like sin and fuck and heaven all rolled into one. I couldn't stay in one place, each part of her tasting better than the last. I sucked her juices from her, burying my face as deep as I could, moving back and forth from her clit to her opening. I slid my tongue deep inside of her, tasting the mixture of our flavors blended together and knowing that there would never be another taste in all of existence to top it.

Bella began screaming around me almost instantly, writhing against my mouth as I thrust up into hers. We were locked together, two halves of a human yin yang symbol, completely lost in the tastes and the sounds of each other. Any stranger passing within a hundred yards that night would have been startled by the loud noises emanating from the cottage: growling, snarling, moaning, slurping, sucking... and the screaming.

_Oh yes, the screaming._

I had lost count of the orgasms that Bella had already had, grinding her pussy against my tongue as I had always wanted her to, flooding my mouth more with each explosion. I, myself, had already experienced two world-shattering orgasms between her hungry lips with no sign of stopping. I wanted so badly to enter her body again, but I couldn't drag myself away from the taste and smell of her. I lavished attention to each delicate fold, sucking on her clit and scraping my teeth across the swollen bundle of nerves, eliciting one loud scream after another from her. I could not stop. The world could have ended at that very moment and I would have died a happy man.

"Edward..."

_So fucking good. So delicious. So amazing._

"Edward..."

_Not enough. Never enough. Want to swallow her whole. Mine... Mine... MINE!_

"Edward!" My concentration was finally broken as Bella pulled away from me and started sliding forward towards my legs.

"No!" I growled, reaching for her. "Where are you going?"

"I need more of you. Now. I can't handle this anymore without you inside me." She quickly settled in my lap, facing my feet and straddling my hips, leaning forward so that her hands were on the floor. She reached back and positioned herself on me, slamming down hard onto my cock before I could offer one more word of protest.

_Oh fuck!_

I was powerless to do anything for a few minutes but lay back and let Bella fuck me senseless. And did she ever. I watched as she slammed herself back onto me repeatedly, her gorgeous ass bouncing on me, my dick disappearing inside of her as she moved. I felt her inner muscles squeezing me tightly, already trying to milk me dry.

"Yessss... God Bella, that feels so fucking good!" I grabbed her hips roughly and pulled her into me, thrusting up as she pushed down.

I noticed that as she moved back and forth, she was spreading herself wide enough that I could see her rear opening. I had always been perversely curious about this area of her body. I wasn't exactly fixated on the thought of entering her there, but I had read quite a bit about pleasure and erogenous zones since we had started our little practice sessions, and this was definitely supposed to be one. Before, it had only been associated with human necessity to me and was always _much_ too delicate to even think about exploring. _But now..._

I slowly moved my hand closer to her, stopping to drag my fingers through her wetness until they were good and slick. She slowed her movements when she felt me touching her, waiting to see what I was doing. I continued upwards until I was slowly circling the opening with one wet fingertip, applying more pressure with each rotation. Bella was barely moving now, her attention focused on my wayward fingers.

"Edward?" she whispered, her voice teetering between fear and curiosity. I pushed more firmly until the very tip entered her. "Oh!" she gasped. "What are you... what are you doing?" Still whispering. Too embarrassed to turn around and look at me.

"Does it hurt?" I whispered back.

"Well... no. Not really. It's just... awkward." I could tell from her tone that she would be a deep shade of crimson if she still had the ability to blush. I slid my finger deeper, pushing slowly into her and meeting a great resistance.

"Push back on me, Bella. You're so tight. Take me deeper inside you. I want to fill you everywhere at the same time." She moaned loudly at my words, her need finally besting her embarrassment. She pushed back slowly, allowing me into her body more intimately than she ever had before. I held still, letting her become accustomed to the new sensation of being penetrated in two places.

After a moment Bella began to move on me once more, sliding forward a few inches and pushing back again. She did this a few more times, each with less trepidation. I started slowly pushing into her, moving my hips in sync with her until we had a hypnotic rhythm established. She felt even tighter to me now, as if that were somehow possible, gripping me everywhere at once. The sight of her taking me in so many places was enough to make me dizzy with arousal.

"Bella? Oh God... Bella... how does it feel?" I groaned, being done in with the dual stimulation of the visual and the visceral.

"So... good... " she panted. "I feel so... _full_." She met my thrusts more quickly now, making my head spin with how wonderful she felt. Before long, I felt the familiar tremors begin from deep inside her body, radiating outward, making her thighs shake. Her moans deepened, becoming more guttural. I knew that she was close, and knowing it only made me closer.

"Yesss... that's it, love... don't fucking stop until you come for me. Oh _fuck_, I'm so close!" I growled the last out so roughly that it was barely understandable. I felt every muscle in my body tightening, coiling, winding up so intensely that I knew I would surely explode, shattering into oblivion and loving it.

Bella's entire body began to shake. I felt her inner muscles clamp down on me and squeeze me tighter than I had ever experienced before. I couldn't hold back any longer; I was on sensory overload and she just felt too damn good. The coil finally snapped, scattering pieces of my soul to the ends of the earth. I cried out her name, pumping everything that I had into her.

Feeling me exploding inside of her triggered Bella's climax and she was suddenly joining me in my cries of pleasure. We rode out our convulsions together, locked in a violent embrace that seemed to go on forever. When we were finished we gently disentangled ourselves and I grabbed her, turning her to face me as I sat up and pulled her into my lap. I stared at her deeply without speaking, losing myself in her eyes.

"Edward?" Puzzled by my odd behavior, that worry line that I knew so well creased her brow.

"Shh..." I whispered, cupping her face and pulling her lips to mine. I kissed her softly on the lips, moving quickly to her nose and then her cheek. I kissed away the crease on her brow and then on each of her eyelids. "I don't want to talk right now. I just need to look at you. That was too long to go without seeing you looking back at me."

"Oh, Edward..." she sighed. "I love you. So very much."

"And I you. Now shh..." I wrapped her legs around my waist and positioned her over my unflagging erection. "I told you, I don't want to talk yet. I just need to look at you." I slipped inside her, settling her on me more firmly. "I need to look at you... and love you."

I stood up slowly, carrying my precious cargo with me to the bed, never taking my eyes from hers and never leaving her body. I laid her down, right in the middle of our replica honeymoon bed, and loved her with an agonizing slowness. Every thrust was drawn out and unhurried, feeling for every single spot inside of her and committing it to memory.

I wasn't being gentle out of any fear for her wellbeing, she could certainly handle anything that I gave her now. This was merely a rest for us so that we could regroup, because we didn't need _actual_ rest. Normally we would have to stop for Bella to nap, but no longer. We simply needed time to reflect and absorb all that we had just done, but how else were we to do that when we didn't need sleep, never got tired, and never stopped wanting each other? Were we supposed to _stop?_ I think not.

We couldn't stop, that much was clear. Our need for each other was all-consuming. Even when taking a break from fucking Bella, I needed to make love to her. It was becoming an endless cycle that I couldn't possibly bring myself to worry about just yet. Somehow we would find a way to finally put our clothes back on and go about our daily business in the morning, but we had hours left before we had to face it. Until then... she was mine, this time was ours, and I wasn't stopping _anything._

….......................................................................................................................

Some time later, we lay entangled in the sheets, cuddled together, still connected. I only left her body when it was absolutely necessary and physically impossible to switch positions without it. We held each other and murmured sweet nothings as we lazily moved together. We tried to stay to one side of the mattress, since we were tilted at a funny angle and every time we rolled too closely to the other side we would start sliding towards the floor. The headboard had managed to survive our first round this time, but I couldn't say the same about the box springs.

"Shame about the bed," Bella whispered.

"I'll buy us another one in the morning." I nuzzled her neck and sucked at her earlobe, running my fingers through her silky hair.

"I'm so embarrassed. I didn't think I was moving that strongly on you." She hid her face behind her hands. I quickly pulled them away and made her look at me.

"Hey, I'll buy you a brand new bed every single day if it means you'll ride me like that every single night." I wiggled my eyebrows at her suggestively, smiling when she finally stopped worrying and giggled.

"Still... I hate to ruin everything so fast. This place is so lovely. If I'm not careful we'll knock holes through the walls." Knowing she was self-conscious about her strength, I didn't want to point out the dips and cracks in the floorboards that weren't there when we came in here.

"Believe me, it's happened before. In fact, Emmett's rather proud of it. It wouldn't shock them, Bella, they're practically expecting it."

"Well, that doesn't make it any less embarrassing." As I leaned down to kiss her she suddenly stilled, her entire body going on alert. I studied her face, trying to see what was wrong. Her nostrils started flaring rapidly, a low growl building in her chest.

"Deer?" she whispered. I stopped and sniffed the breeze that was rolling in from the cracked window.

"About forty yards North. Are you thirsty?" I had lost track of time for the first time in decades, but looking out the window showed that it was still dark, most likely around three in the morning. I hadn't expected her to need to hunt again so soon, but I kept forgetting that she was a newborn.

"I wasn't... until I smelled that." She cocked her head towards the window. "But now my throat is on fire again."

"Poor dear. I wasn't thinking. I've been... distracted. Let's go hunting." I somehow found the strength to pull away from her enough to stand up and hold out my hand to her.

"Like this?" she squeaked, looking down at her naked form.

"Why not? Nobody will see us, it's dark. Plus, I can guarantee that the entire family will be hiding out indoors tonight. Probably with earplugs in," I chuckled.

"Are you sure?" I could see that she was almost convinced.

"Come on. Don't you want to do something a little naughty?" I grinned at her.

"I thought we had been," she smiled wickedly.

"Mmm... yes, well... you know what I mean." As soon as she made the reference to our bedroom activities I found myself needing her again. "Think of it like skinny dipping. We had quite a few naked romps on our honeymoon. This is like that, only we're going hunting."

"OK, you convinced me. Just do one thing first."

"What would you like?"

"Say 'naughty' again." She gave me a heated look and licked her lips.

"Naughty," I practically purred. I slowly crept towards her, prowling for my prey. "Wicked... rude... _sinful_." I lunged for her, shocked when she sprang from the bed, ran out the French doors and shot through the garden.

"Last one to hunt is a rotten egg!" I heard her call out, her laughter ringing like chimes on the wind.

_Oh... you are **so** on!_

I tore after her, always loving a challenge, speeding towards her luscious scent. She could find all the deer she wanted. I wasn't hunting _deer._

I could hear her more clearly now, a swift breeze through the trees as she ran. She knew I was closing in on her by the smell of her; her arousal had spiked viciously. It seemed that she loved being hunted as much as I loved hunting her.

We reached the clearing only seconds apart from each other. Bella glanced back at me triumphantly before falling on the unsuspecting deer, taking two down at once, twisting their antlers until the loud crack echoed around us. I stood back and watched her, proud of all that she'd learned in one short day. She was still a bit overzealous when it came time to drink, however. She tore into the deer, draining them quickly one after the other.

When she finally turned to look at me again, my arousal jumped so quickly that I felt as if I had been punched in the gut. I saw that my frenzied wood nymph had returned in all of her glory. She stood in front of me, eyes wild, bathed in the moonlight, completely nude and covered in blood. It had run down her chin and smeared all over her breasts as she'd sated herself.

_Holy fuck!_ Yeah... something like that.

It was as if someone had taken my fragile little human and replaced her with a vampire goddess. I was almost scared at how much it turned me on. I had never been attracted to anything remotely relating to our lifestyle before, it had always been a necessary evil. But looking at her, I knew in that moment that I would never masturbate to any other image of her from this day forward.

She blinked a few times, snapping out of her feeding frenzy, and looked down at herself.

"Guess I'm still a sloppy eater, huh?"

"It will get better with time," I choked out, barely a whisper. She glanced back at the carcasses heaped on the ground behind her.

"I'm sorry, Edward," she whimpered, looking back at me with regret in her eyes. "I meant to share this time. I just wanted to beat you, but once I started..."

"You couldn't stop. I understand perfectly, darling. I never expected to feed tonight. I knew there were only two deer."

"But that's so... _greedy_. That's not like me." I knew how she felt. The entire time she spoke I could not tear my eyes away from the streaks of blood on her chest, wanting so badly to lick them off. I had never been this greedy in my life before, either, only I was greedy for her.

"You'll... adapt... eventually," I replied, barely stringing a coherent sentence together. Even now I was mesmerized by one thick droplet of blood that had landed on her breast and was trailing towards her nipple. Her pink, hardened, swollen, delicious nipple. The image reminded me of our outing at the hidden beach, when she had spilled juice in the exact same place, only now it was painfully more erotic.

Bella caught on quickly to where I was looking and what I was thinking. She glanced from my face to her chest, then down at my obscenely engorged erection. She sniffed at the air between us, picking up my heated scent. Her features shifted; her eyes became heavy lidded and her chest began to rise and fall rapidly as she continued breathing me in, which did nothing to help my own current obsession.

_Plump... succulent... nipple... must... taste_

Bella quirked an eyebrow as if in expectation. She held her arms out to me, inviting me, welcoming me to feast. I was on her in an instant, wrapping my arms around her waist, pulling her to me roughly as I kissed her mouth savagely. Our tongues battled for dominance briefly before I pulled away and sucked her lips clean, moving on to her chin, licking up every drop. My hands worked their way down to cup her firm bottom and pull her into me, grinding her onto my hard length as I rubbed it against her, leaving absolutely nothing for her to wonder about my intentions. Her hands plunged into my hair, dragging me down to her chest as she shoved her breasts at my face.

_Yes!_

I lapped hungrily at the streaks on her skin, rubbing my face against her until I had matching smears around my mouth. I sucked the firm peak between my lips, moaning loudly at the the combined flavor of the blood and her flesh. I moved on to the other one, dragging my mouth across her skin, wanting nothing more than to fuck her where she stood.

_That sounds like a perfectly good idea._

I lifted her up, bringing her legs around me as I impaled her on me in one swift movement. She threw her head back and screamed at the sudden invasion, but it was not a scream of pain. I raised and lowered her on me, sliding her up and down as I continued to devour her breasts. The movements were limited given our position, but as long as I was deep inside of her I didn't care one bit. We stood like that for a while, growling and grinding together, and I slowly started to realize through my foggy consciousness that a new frenzy had taken us over. It was more primal than we had ever shared, here in the wilderness, under the stars, being the animals that we truly were.

And I fucking loved it.

I could feel Bella's nails digging into my back, scratching across the muscles there and feeling amazing. I licked my way back up her neck, sensing a now familiar urge starting to take over when I neared her throat. I let my teeth scrape along the surface of her flesh, not quite biting, but enough to leave a slight sting behind.

Everything happened very quickly after that.

Looking back, it's almost a blur. We had been taken over so completely by our instincts that it almost felt as if we were puppets being pulled towards a violent end against our will.

As soon as she felt my teeth leave her neck, Bella screeched and pulled my hair fiercely until I was looking her in the eye. Her blood red gaze was absolutely rabid. The vampire goddess was back... and she was pissed.

"Don't you EVER fucking tease me!" she screamed, wrenching my head back further and clamping her teeth into the side of my neck, right over my original bite mark from Carlisle. Her teeth punctured my skin there and it was like I was being reborn, claimed in the name of Bella. It felt so painfully wonderful that I immediately began climaxing, shaking so hard that I nearly dropped her.

As soon as she released her jaws from my skin she was pushing and shoving at me until I let her go. She slid down my body and glared at me angrily. It slowly dawned on me what had just happened, and with that realization came my own unfamiliar rage. Just like earlier, I was furious that she had dared to bite me first, regardless of the fact that it had felt amazing. When Bella saw my transformation she smirked.

"Then fucking DO something about it!" she yelled at me, reaching out and scratching her nails down my chest so hard that it stung. She placed both hands on me and shoved, knocking me off my feet. I looked back in time to see her running away into the trees.

I was back on my feet instantly, crouched in my hunting stance. Apparently I had just lost my prey. I sniffed the breeze, confirming quickly that she was still headed in the direction that I'd seen her take. I chased after her, running at my top speed, knowing deep in my bones that this would be the most fulfilling hunt I'd ever experienced. The minuscule amount of joy I'd felt during our chase earlier was nothing compared to this. And still, the anger and adrenaline drove me even faster.

I caught up to her in less than a minute, lunging at her and tackling her to the ground. We rolled around in the thick grass, pushing and shoving at each other until I was seated on top of her. Just as I was about to speak, she bucked wildly and knocked me off again. This time I caught her as she was running away, grabbing her tightly around the waist and pinning her arms to her sides.

I dragged her around with me, looking for anything to brace her against so that I could hold her in place easier while I dealt with her. It was taking all of my strength to hold onto her and I was worried that she would break free at any moment. She wanted none of it, however, flailing and kicking and snarling at me. I finally got fed up, swinging her to my side so that I could kick the nearest tree trunk. A loud crack echoed through the forest as the tree fell over, landing with a thud at our feet.

I pushed her down until she was kneeling in front of the trunk, and then I shoved her forward until she was bent over it. I pinned her down by the back of the neck until I could grab hold of her arms and clamp her wrists together behind her back. She immediately tried to rear back towards me and wiggle loose, so I held her wrists tightly with one hand and grabbed her by the hair, yanking her head back until I could make her look at me.

"How _dare_ you fucking run from me?" I yelled, startling myself with my anger. "You are mine! Do you fucking understand that, Bella? MINE! You _never_ fucking run from me! I will _always_ chase you. I will _always_ find you." I realized that the more I scolded her, the more aroused she was becoming. She had started moaning loudly as I yelled, rubbing her ass back against me.

_She is loving this! _How could she?

_She will welcome it... _

I slid my cock between her thighs, rubbing against the wetness that I found there. She groaned even louder, pushing herself harder against me.

"And when I finally catch you, Bella..." I slipped the tip just barely inside her dripping entrance. "I'm going to fuck you until you remember where you belong." I shoved my cock inside her to the hilt, feeling her inner muscles stretching around me. She cried out, trying to push back into my thrusts, but from the position she was in she was unable to do more than lay there and take it. I shoved harder, pounding my hips against her bottom, the slapping noise echoing around us.

"Edward!" she screamed, her first orgasm ripping through her. I pulled on her hair, making her look at me again.

"Is this what you fucking wanted, Bella? Is it? Because I'm here now and I'm not stopping until you say you're mine!" She only moaned in response. I pushed her back down against the trunk and readjusted my hold on her arms until I could brace her that way with one hand. I pounded into her relentlessly, driven by a need to possess every piece of her soul. "Say it, Bella. Out loud." She only continued to moan, this time joining it with a growl.

I reached my free hand back and swatted her bare ass, so hard that it hurt my hand.

"Oh, fuck!" she screamed, clenching around me in another climax.

_Crack!_ Down came my hand again. _Crack!_ I never let up, thrusting as if my life depended on it.

"Who do you belong to, Bella?" _Crack!_ "Who is fucking you senseless right now?" _Crack!_ "Who's pussy is this?" _Crack! _She growled loudly, her orgasm shaking both of us, sending me to the breaking point.

_Bite her... bite... bite... Man up and fucking bite her right now!_

I grabbed her by the hair again and yanked her roughly back to me, slamming into her now, barely holding on.

"God damn it, Bella, say it! You. Are. MINE!" I brought my mouth down onto the back of her shoulder, sinking my teeth deeply into the firm muscle there. The feeling of her skin breaking beneath my teeth, combined with the amazing sensations of her body gripping me tightly sent me tumbling over the edge. The only thing that could possibly make it any more intense happened as soon as she opened her mouth.

"I'm YOURS!" she screamed, and her voice was nearly drowned out by the loud howl that escaped around my teeth. I exploded in a huge torrent, filling her so full that she was overflowing.

We both collapsed against the trunk for a moment, taking in everything that had just happened. I quickly turned her to face me, looking for any sign of pain or regret. What I got was a beaming smile. I cupped her face and kissed her softly, pulling away to smile back at her.

"I love you, wife. Let's go back home." I scooped her up bridal style and started back for the cottage. She curled into me and sighed contentedly.

"Yours, Edward. Always yours," she whispered. I felt my chest swell with possessive pride. "But you know what?"

"What, my love?"

"You're mine, too. We belong to each other."

"Bella," I leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Truer words have never been spoken."

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A/N: OK, folks...

I have just dished up lemon after lemon after lemon chiffon, drizzled with lemonade.

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!! I'm DYING to know what you thought about this.

Special thanks to the lovely ladies over at the Blood & Lust thread in the post-Eclipse section of the Twilighted forum. They have always given tons of support. Stop by some time, we are always looking for more people to talk about dirty things with.

Also, super special thanks to Corvid Coccinelle for all of her words of kindness and the pep talk emails. She just posted a new story called A Picture of Dorian Gray, and I love it. You should check it out. It totally makes me think of the old bodice ripper Victorian romance novels that I used to read, total guilty pleasure!


	13. The Pink Nightmare

Thank you all so much for the amazing feedback on the last chapter! I'm so happy to know that you pervs don't always have to have a plot, either! ;)

Now, as for this story, I am sad to say that things are winding down. I think there are only going to be about 2 more chapters, including an epilogue. It's just hitting that point where it must come to an end, regardless of how much I love these two horny kids. This all just started out as a writing exercise for me to see if I could stand to do a multi chapter story, I'd never even intended to go past the honeymoon, so I'm proud that I've managed to keep things fairly interesting for some of you up until now. I was going to try and wrap it all up in this chapter, but as usual, Edward had more to say, so thank him for the stay of execution.

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing related to Twilight. But I am working on cloning Edward in my secret basement laboratory.**

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_Hopelessly I'll love you endlessly_

_Hopelessly I'll give you everything_

_But I won't give you up_

_I won't let you down_

_And I won't leave you falling_

_If the moment ever comes_

"_Endlessly" ~ Muse_

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The next three months flew by in a blissful and orgasmic blur.

My days were full of more joy than I had thought physically possible. Each new dawn brought another chance to spend time with my daughter. Teaching, learning, laughing and loving... I had never known I could feel so _content_.

And my nights?

Well, they were kept pretty busy, too.

It took us a little time to settle into any sort of a routine at first. Since Bella's self control was holding stronger than any of us could have expected, we had been planning on packing up and moving to New Hampshire so that we could eventually begin classes at Dartmouth, hopefully distancing us from anyone who might begin to get suspicious of our recent family changes.

_Jacob_, however, was not thrilled about this idea. _Jacob _did not want us taking his precious little Nessie away from him so quickly. _Jacob_ decided that if Charlie was made aware of what was going on, there would be no need for us to leave just yet._ Jacob_ decided to take it upon himself to clue Charlie in that strange things were afoot at Castle Cullen by phasing in front of him the very next morning after our first night together in the cottage.

_Jacob_ can kiss my ass.

I had never been so angry at him as I was that morning. Before, I could almost see where he was coming from with most of the foolish things that he did, but to me this had finally crossed a line. I know now that his intentions were honorable, but I had been instantly terrified for Bella's sake. We had no way of knowing so soon if her control would continue to hold, and I couldn't imagine the unbearable guilt and agony she would feel if she slipped and murdered her own father. Also, regardless of any success she might have during her encounters with Charlie, I was certain that she would be suffering an excruciating amount of pain by merely being in his presence and smelling his blood. I had become more possessive and protective of my new family than I had ever been of anything before, and I could have easily killed Jacob in that moment for simply _not thinking_.

Luckily, Charlie and Bella were both made of stronger stuff than any of us had realized. Perhaps she got her control from him, because they both amazed me that first day. She kept her cool, even though she was being forced to test her mettle in front of Charlie months before we thought she would have to.

And Charlie, oddly enough, was a master at sticking his head in the sand and only seeing what he wanted to see. He knew that something was going on, but he did not push or pry. Once Jacob explained that the less he knew, the better, and that he might be able to keep Bella around longer with his acceptance, he swallowed down any line of questioning that was bursting to get out and simply made sure that she was alright.

The only thing that he couldn't allow himself to take our word for was the cover that Renesmee was my orphaned niece who we were adopting. He took one look into her eyes and knew without a doubt that she was our child. It was obvious that this disturbed him; he knew that the math didn't add up and he had no idea what on earth the complete truth could possibly be, but as soon as Renesmee smiled at him he was lost, yet another in her long line of disciples.

So now Bella had Charlie back in her life and he was accepting her new family with no questions asked. She was ecstatic, regardless of any discomfort she might feel around him. She told me later that she would happily feel like she had gargled molten lava every single day if it meant that she could have this for as long as possible.

Apparently _Jacob_ had a little longer left to live... _and_ I had to be grateful to him for instigating it all, regardless of how foolish he had been.

I really hated that.

Time moved on, bringing with it nearly daily visits from Charlie to see his granddaughter... and also daily changes in Renesmee. She spoke whole sentences when she was barely days old, followed quickly by walking, and soon after that... dancing. Within a few months she was starting to look like an older toddler, and we were all wondering if she would ever slow down.

Bella was also starting to wonder if our need for each other would ever slow down, since we burned as brightly now as that very first night. It was difficult for her to even leave our bedroom the first few mornings, no matter how badly she wanted to see Renesmee, and I continually had to remind her that we would always have the following night to be together again. It was a good thing that she took little convincing, because I could have stayed right there in bed with her all day if she'd insisted even once.

Eventually Bella and I had managed to carve out some semblance of a schedule that allowed us about half the day with our daughter and the other half with each other. Luckily Renesmee slept easily and deeply, which allowed us to enjoy ourselves without interruption, but it was rather jarring in the beginning to become accustomed to _not_ needing to fawn over her while she slept. Bella was almost put out at the thought that we were perfectly prepared to answer any call she made in the night since we never slept, and she had yet to find any need for us until morning.

The only thing Renesmee ever seemed to actually demand from us was our little bit of private time together at night. We had begun spending about an hour before her bedtime alone in the cottage with her, reading her to sleep. We would take turns reading aloud from different books, quickly moving on from the usual children's fare when it became quite clear that she was being bored to tears. We were both amazed and somewhat alarmed at how advanced her learning had become, leaving Bella disturbed and practically speechless one night when she asked for the book herself and began reading Tennyson to her flawlessly. Although I was just as unsettled at her rapid development, my inner scholar was beaming with pride. I often found myself handing over the new books to her much easier than Bella and listening raptly as she read them back to me, only stopping her to correct her pronunciation when the need arose, which was very rarely.

However, this seemed to be the _only_ reading I'd been doing as of late. My normal nocturnal activities had taken an abrupt turn from the academic to the physical. As soon as our daughter's eyes would close, we would be all over each other and fumbling our way back to our bedroom, a trail of ripped clothing in our wake. We were absolutely insatiable, and the more time that we spent together, the worse it seemed to become.

There had been so many things that I used to imagine sharing with Bella once she had my stamina: my favorite poems and novels, my favorite films, my favorite songs, traveling to my favorite places. There had been so many to choose from that I knew it would take years to explore them all together and I had been eager to begin, but it seemed that the fates would rather have us spend eternity exploring each other's bodies.

Frequently I found myself wondering if one could literally fuck themselves stupid.

I knew without a doubt that if it was possible, I was destined to become the happiest idiot on the face of the earth.

So the cycle continued; playtime for baby while Renesmee was awake... and playtime for Mommy and Daddy as soon as she went to sleep. Some might find our routine monotonous, but when I was surrounded by such perfect beauty, how could I ever complain? Renesmee lit up my world in a way that I didn't even know existed, and Bella was so exceptionally _happy_ all the time that it was becoming absolutely contagious. Hell, even Jasper couldn't stay away from her anymore, he'd become addicted to the high of her bliss.

I had soon become very thankful that we had moved Renesmee into the spare bedroom of our cottage, since the early morning hours were the easiest for me to get anywhere near her before her adoring fans would start whining for their turn. Every morning Bella and I would force ourselves into some clothes, walk quietly into the next room and kiss her on the cheek. Whether she could sense us approaching or simply feel the cold touch on her skin I wasn't sure, but she never failed to open her eyes immediately and greet us with a blinding smile.

"Hello baby girl," I would whisper, refusing to change what I called her yet no matter how big she was getting.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Bella would chime in, enjoying our routine as much as I did. Renesmee would look back and forth between us, always smiling, deciding what her first order of the day would be.

"Morning Momma... Morning Daddy..." She would stand up in her crib that was quickly getting too small for her and hold her arms out, sometimes choosing one of us to pick her up, other times being very diplomatic about it all and letting us fight it out.

Today she was being diplomatic.

"I should carry her to the house today. You still need to pack up her bag," I said matter-of-factly, glancing at Bella quickly.

"You could always pack her bag, Edward. You know what goes in there just as much as I do," she returned, a knowing look on her face.

"Well, yes... but she may want to tell me about her dreams. I should really be available for that." I was grasping at straws now and we both knew it.

"Yes Edward, but shouldn't she really tell _me_ about them, since you can see them in your mind already? That way we can both see them at the same time and you won't have to try and explain them to me or make her repeat it." Damn. Her debating skills had only improved with her transformation.

"I know but... I won't get to go hunting with you two today. I have that meeting with Carlisle about our trip. I'm already going to miss part of my time with her. Please?" I pulled out my big guns and threw in a little extra smile to seal the deal.

"Oh... alright. But only because you asked so nicely," she teased, standing up to kiss my cheek as I lifted Renesmee into my arms. "Momma's going to get your clothes ready, baby. Why don't you keep Daddy company?"

"OK Momma." She leaned forward towards Bella, holding her cheek out until she received her morning kiss, and waited while Bella quickly turned her own cheek towards her, receiving a kiss in return. After Bella flitted away to grab a few essentials she turned the full focus of her warm brown eyes on me.

"Do I get a kiss, too?" I asked her. She leaned forward and wrapped her little arms around my neck, kissing my cold cheek before hugging me tightly.

"Love you, Daddy," she whispered against my neck.

"I love you, too, baby girl," I said as I gently hugged her back, wondering for about the thousandth time that week how I could possibly deserve to be so happy. "Did you sleep well?"

She leaned back and lifted her tiny hand to my face and I knew that her talking was done for a while. Although she could speak remarkably well, she still preferred to show us as much as possible with her gift.

I walked her slowly around the room and hummed quietly while I was shown images of her crib along with the intense feeling of enclosure.

"Yes, Renesmee, I think we should get you a new bed. You are outgrowing your crib more every day, and I think you might like something that didn't have bars. Am I right?" She smiled and nodded.

"Right about what?" Bella asked as she walked back into the room, her arms laden with a full tote bag and a change of clothes.

"Renesmee and I both agree that it's time for her to get a new bed. A nice sized toddler bed, perhaps." Bella took her from me briefly to change her out of her Backyardigans pajamas that Emmett had given her. She sat and watched that show every afternoon in Uncle Emmett's lap, and they both had all of the songs memorized already and would sing them together.

"That sounds like a lovely idea!" Bella smiled, pulling a simple t-shirt and jeans on Renesmee. We didn't bother to dress her with any more thought than that, anything that she arrived in at my family's house would quickly be discarded and exchanged for some frilly designer dress imported from France. Alice and Rosalie took turns changing her into different outfits every day and playing "fashion show," but they were also taking many pictures of her as well to try and simulate years worth of photographs of a growing child. I appreciated their thoughtfulness, but I knew just how much they would keep on doing it even if her rapid growth should halt.

"What kind of bed do you want, Renesmee?" Bella asked her as she pulled on her last shoe.

"I don't know, Momma. Something pretty." This was obviously a very serious matter, indeed. Bella chuckled and rolled her eyes as she handed her back to me.

"Well, that sounds like a job for Aunt Alice," I mused as we left the cottage and headed for the house. "Do you want her to help you pick out a bed? I'll bet that she would be thrilled to know you want to shop for something." She simply smiled and nodded, putting her hand back on my chin as we walked towards the house, showing me Alice's face, followed quickly by everyone else who she knew would be waiting for her. We rarely rushed during these morning walks, knowing that we would barely see her again throughout the day, at least when she was not attached to one of her many fans.

As we walked in the back door they descended upon us.

"There she is!" Rosalie gushed, grabbing for her before the door was even closed. "What took you guys so long?" She looked at us and Bella glanced away, embarrassed. "Ugh, I don't even want to know. What on earth are you dressed in, Renesmee? We just got a lot more dresses for you in the mail yesterday. Let's go find one to try on!" And just like that, they were gone.

_Why the hell do we even bother dressing her at all?_

Bella followed Rosalie up the stairs to watch the melee for a while, both of us knowing she would grow weary before long and find something else to do. I headed for my piano, a certain melody playing over and over in my head since earlier when I had been humming it to Renesmee. I was just sitting down on the bench and playing with a few ideas in my mind when Alice skipped into the room.

"Hey bro," she said, stopping to lean on the side of the piano. "Renesmee is going to love this song."

"Thanks, Alice. Speaking of, Her Majesty has decided that she needs a new bed. But I'm sure you already knew that." She perked up, eyes brightening at the mention of the word _new_.

"No! I didn't know that! I can only see so many things at a time when it comes to her, and I was only focusing on your new song. That explains why I kept seeing images of beds!"

"Yes, well, not only does she want one, but when asked what kind she wanted, all she could answer was 'something pretty.'" Her eyes got big like saucers and her lower lip began to tremble. She was practically vibrating with excitement. "We figured that you might like to be all over this one."

"Oh... oh!" She started waving at her eyes, fighting away the sting of non-existent tears. "My niece wants something pretty! I knew we were related! Oh! Rosalie!" she cried up the stairs, "Hurry up, it's my turn! We've got so much to do!"

"And Alice?" I called after her, making her stop abruptly mid-sprint and turn back to face me. "She really just needs a toddler bed. Make it as 'pretty' as you want, but you probably shouldn't go too far overboard on her first foray into consumerism."

"Oh, please! Give me _some_ credit! Whatever we choose will be simple, elegant and tasteful." And then she was gone in a flash, already upstairs and fighting for her time to start shopping.

_Mmmhmm... tasteful my ass._

The better part of the morning was spent with Renesmee perched on Alice's knees while they browsed every high-end furniture web site available. Rosalie checked in periodically to see what they had narrowed it down to, giving her own approval where she felt it was needed. At one point I could hear Alice dialing her phone, frantic about something she'd seen online.

"Yes, I was just looking at one of your luxury beds on Posh Tots dot com, and I was wondering how firm you were on this six month delivery time." She listened for a bit and interrupted whatever poor call service employee was on the other end of the phone. "Yes, I understand that it is all hand crafted and custom made in England, but six months? I simply _must_ have this bed, but I cannot wait that long." Silence for another minute. "Yes, but what you fail to realize is that I will pay you in full up front, as well as any other fees it would take to get this bed here as soon as possible. A few weeks, I'll consider, but six months is just ridiculous. Surely you have floor models available somewhere?"

I decided that I definitely did not want to hear the end of this conversation. I didn't want to think of what feminine monstrosity would soon be gracing my daughter's bedroom, probably taking up every inch of floor space. I also didn't even want to contemplate the obscene amount of money that was going to be involved in this task. I was not now nor had I ever been considered cheap, Bella would insist that I was much too extravagant in my tastes, but I knew that I paled in comparison to Alice.

When Carlisle arrived home from his night shift at the hospital I joined him in the kitchen with Emmett, who lugged an armful of maps that he'd collected over the years. A few days back we had decided that we had wasted enough time sitting around and watching Renesmee grow bigger and bigger. She was aging so rapidly that we were all silently terrified that she would be an elderly woman in a matter of years, dying of old age by the time she reached her teens. None of us had any idea what to expect where she was concerned, and the not knowing was becoming unbearable. We decided to pool our resources and take a trip, traveling to the small village communities where these types of legends were still alive. If someone had heard of others like her, there was a slim chance that we might be able to hunt one down, or at least find out what we could.

We carefully mapped out possible travel routes, hoping to come up with the most effective way to dig for information.

"I had originally thought this would be one big family excursion, but the more I think about it, it might be better if we were able to cover more ground at once... split up," Carlisle said, pointing to a detailed map of South America. "I think we should definitely start with Rio, then head further into Brazil if we have no luck there. Edward, you and Bella can come with me and Esme, and I think that Emmett and Rosalie should start in Columbia and head into the Amazon. Jasper and Alice can head further South to Chile and Argentina."

"Fine by me," Emmett grinned. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner I can get Rose in a bikini and hit those sexy beaches down there." _And then get her back out of the bikini._ He winked at me over the table. I rolled my eyes and studied the map again, stopping that inner monologue before it started.

_Ugh... just when I thought it was safe to go back near Emmett's mind._

"Excuse me..." Bella's voice interrupted us from the doorway. I looked up to see her standing there with Renesmee tucked against her hip, now wearing a completely impractical ruffled ivory gown.

"Come in, Bella," Carlisle stood as he greeted her.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Edward, but Renesmee wanted to say goodbye. Jake is almost here. We are going to go hunting when he gets here." She set her down so that she could walk on her own. "Go give Daddy a hug, baby."

"Come here, you!" I smiled, holding out my arms. She ran and jumped into them, hugging me tightly for the second time today. I knew without a doubt that I would never get tired of this. I looked over her shoulder at Bella and smiled, mouthing the words, "Thank you."

I had asked her to get Jacob away from the house for a while today while we made arrangements. I got a little peace of mind, but I had to forfeit my hunting trip with my girls to get it.

"I'm still not sure this is the way to go about it," she whispered, glancing at Renesmee, not wanting her to overhear. I could see the doubt and indecision on her face.

"Hey! Where's _my_ hug, Pablo?" Emmett jumped in, successfully distracting her so that we could talk. I kissed her cheek quickly and set her down again as I walked over to Bella, watching her leap into his arms in one move.

"No, I'm Uniqua! _You're_ Pablo, silly!" she giggled.

"Are you sure?" he teased, his eyes sparkling as he watched her laugh. He could get her to talk more than anyone else. We weren't sure if it was out of comfort or simple frustration, but she always used her words with him.

"Yes!" she rolled her eyes, starting the long running daily debate. "You're Pablo the Penguin because you're always cold. I'm Uniqua because she's the prettiest color."

"Well, I guess you are pretty unique. I suppose that makes sense." He tickled her ribs, bringing forth rather loud peals of laughter for such an unusually quiet child.

I loved watching them play together; she always seemed to remember that she was still just a little girl and not a Rhodes Scholar when they were together. She needed that balance and I was happy that he brought that out in her. Jacob did to some degree, but it was mostly in the form of competitive games. From the other side of the table, Carlisle seemed to be enjoying the entertainment just as much as I was.

I knew that I would only have a few more minutes until Jacob arrived, so I turned back to Bella, resuming our conversation.

"I know how you feel, Bella," I whispered, "and I appreciate your concern. We just need a little more time to get everything sorted out before he comes in here stomping around and barking demands. We still haven't decided if letting him go with us is in his best interest right now."

"You don't know that he would do that, Edward," she whispered.

I smiled and tapped the side of my head. "Yes I do, Bella. He can hardly hold in his frustration any more. If he comes in here and sees us officially planning this, he's going to lose it. He wants to follow us all the way to Brazil, and I don't know if it would be a help or a hindrance right now. Things will be much easier to determine once we have it all laid out in front of us."

"Alright, but I don't like feeling as if we're hiding things from him."

"I know, but it's for his own good."

"Have I ever told you that you say that too much?" she smirked.

"Perhaps once or twice," I laughed, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her into me. "Now where's my hug goodbye?"

"I can do you one better," she smiled, standing on her tiptoes and gently touching her lips to mine. I kissed her back softly, not surprised when her grip started to tighten around me and the kiss became more heated. I parted my lips slightly and tasted her on the tip of my tongue.

_So fucking delicious._

"Hey guys... the mutt's here- God, get a friggin room already!" I looked up in time to see Rosalie retreating with a disgusted look on her face.

"Aw baby, get back over here and let's show them how it's really done!" Emmett called after her, laughing at the loud groan we could hear from the living room.

"I guess we better get going," Bella sighed, kissing me one more time before pulling away. "Let's go, Renesmee. Jake's here."

"Jacob!" she yelled, jumping out of Emmett's arms and running towards the front door. I listened as Bella followed after her until they were out the door and halfway to the woods.

"Well, I guess that makes us chopped liver," Emmett grumbled.

_Tell me about it._

~*~*~*~*~*~

Less than an hour later we were just rolling up the last of the maps when my cell phone beeped. I answered within a split second, panic running through me at the sight of her name on the display.

"Bella? What's wrong?" Any manner of injury was running through my mind at that moment, wondering instantly how badly Renesmee was hurt.

_You never should have let her go hunting without you, you fucking idiot._

She proceeded to jabber at a breakneck pace about how they had been in the woods and she had seen Irina from the Denali coven, whom we can only assume had come to make peace after her anger with us when Jacob's pack had killed her lover, Laurent. She had been furious that we had sided with the wolves, regardless of the fact that Laurent was trying to kill Bella at the time and they were only saving her. Although our families had been great friends for too many years to count, she had refused to come to our wedding in her anger, and her sisters Tanya and Kate were very heartsick about the riff.

Bella went on to say that she was worried that things had just gotten much worse. Irina had spied them hunting in the woods... all of them: Bella, Renesmee _and_ Jacob_. _She was worried that she had just caused an even bigger riff between us since Irina had witnessed them playing with Jacob before he phased into wolf form to hunt with Renesmee. She had spotted Irina just in time to see the grief-stricken look on her face and before she could call to her, Irina had run away.

Bella was both sorry for causing her pain and scared that she would come back again to seek some sort of misguided vengeance.

"Come," she pleaded. "Bring Carlisle." I was on my feet and running before she finished her sentence.

"Emmett, stay here and guard the house!" I called back over my shoulder as I grabbed Carlisle and ran out the door. In case she doubled back on us I wanted to make sure we were ready for her in multiple places.

"She looked so upset, Edward," Bella continued through the phone. "If she doesn't come back, you and Carlisle have to go after her and talk to her. She might listen to you if you try and explain. I feel so bad."

"We'll be there in half a minute," I promised before hanging up the phone. I tried to give Carlisle a brief rundown of events on the way, but he had heard most of the conversation and had a pretty good idea of what had happened.

As we neared them in the woods we were joined by Leah and Seth, both running faster than I'd ever seen the wolves move before. It looked as if Jacob had also called in reinforcements. There would have been a time not so long ago when I would have accused them of making matters worse by having even more wolves around, but right now I could only be grateful that they were so quick to help protect my family.

As soon as we reached them I pulled Bella into my arms tightly, trying to reassure her with my body in a way that I couldn't seem to do with just my voice. It wasn't until I felt her tremble against me that I realized just how shaken she had been by the experience.

"She was up on that ridge," she explained, pointing to a spot on the hillside. "Maybe you should call Emmett and Jasper and have them come with you. She looked... really upset."

"Bella, I'm sure it's not as bad as all that-"

"She growled at me," she cut me off, thinking that this would help to make us understand how upset Irina truly was.

"_What?_" I spit out. All this was showing me was that Irina had become quite the little bitch since I'd seen her last. This instantly had nothing to do with Bella possibly upsetting her and everything to do with her unnecessarily scaring my wife. I didn't care what her little problems were anymore; nothing called for her rude behavior towards someone who was obviously part of our family, no matter who that person chose to befriend.

"She's grieving." Carlisle put his hand on my arm to break my current train of thought. "I'll go after her." _Calm down, Edward. One hothead in this equation is more than enough. _He looked at me closely to make sure that I understood him loud and clear. I nodded quickly in response.

"I'm coming with you," I demanded. Pissed at her or not, I was not about to send Carlisle off alone to find her without any clue what might be waiting for him. He debated for a moment, finally acknowledging that my mind reading skills would be valuable to help assess her intentions if we found her.

I gave Bella and Renesmee each a quick kiss before they were escorted back to the house by the wolves. As soon as I knew they would be safe I took off with Carlisle after her scent. She had quite a head start on us and her trail was fading fast. We followed it as far as the sound, but even swimming to the other side yielded no results. She had disappeared into thin air.

Carlisle called Tanya and Kate in Alaska, breaking the bad news to them and preparing them for any possibility. Alice tried in vain to see her future, to let us know if she might return and whether there was a chance for an explanation, but Irina's mind was an uncertain mess that left Alice unable to pinpoint any clear outcome.

There was nothing we could do now other than wait and hope for the best.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Oh... my... God." Bella groaned.

"What the hell is it?" I gasped.

"So much _pink!_" Bella nearly wept.

"My bed!" Renesmee squealed with delight, demanding to be put down so that she could explore further. I set her on her feet and stood back to survey the damage, watching as she ran to the wooden steps and began climbing. We both just stood there looking dumbfounded, mouths agape.

"Alice," we said in unison. I was reminded of the morning that I had first shown Bella our enormous new closet, although this time _she_ said her name like an explanation and _I_ said it like an expletive.

Apparently when Alice said she would need all day to assemble the new bed that had been delivered in a record ten days, she had decided to throw in a little bit of mural work on her walls as well. Everywhere I looked I saw pink and purple clouds, scenes with castles and horses, little illustrations of every major fairy tale. She had even included a castle playhouse painted in the same color scheme.

_The rustic look must have clashed with her pink princess fantasy. _

And the bed? Monstrosity had been too polite of a term.

It was an enormous life-size replica of Cinderella's pumpkin coach, but instead of seats inside there was a mattress. There were steps leading up to the doorway, it was that big. And just as I had suspected, it took up most of the free space in the room.

"Does she even like Cinderella?" Bella whispered, smiling as Renesmee stuck her head out of one of the windows of the bed and waved at her. "I don't remember her caring that much about it when we read it to her."

"She liked it well enough, but I think the real culprit here is the fact that everyone calls her their 'little princess.' She must have decided it was time to live up to the moniker."

_Simple, elegant and tasteful, huh?_

"Come on down here Renesmee, we need to get you ready for bed," Bella called, escorting her to her closet and letting her choose from her own brand new selection of appropriate princess sleeping attire. We watched as she sifted through hangers of ruffly silks and satins, stopping only once she'd located her favorite Backyardigans pajamas. "That's my girl," Bella whispered, her smile growing wider when she saw that a little bit of herself had been passed down into this tiny mystery.

We all climbed inside the new pink nightmare and took turns reading from Great Expectations until Renesmee was finally asleep. As we quietly left the room I couldn't help but laugh to myself as the image of a young Pip bashing Miss Havisham over the head with her wedding cake came to me from her dream.

"Good Lord, that _bedroom_!" Bella moaned as we walked into our closet.

"I know, I know," I commiserated with her, turning away briefly to unbutton my shirt and replace it on its hanger. When I turned back around I caught sight of Bella leaning over as she stepped out of her jeans and it nearly made me fall over.

_What the fuck are those? I've never seen those before!_

"Erm... Bella?" I practically squeaked.

"Yes?" she hummed, taking her sweet time folding her jeans and putting them away.

"What, exactly, are you wearing?"

_What isn't she wearing is more like it_

"Oh, these?" She glanced down innocently at the tiny matching scraps of deep blue netting and lace. "Well, as it happens, there are a few drawers in here that are just full of these little things. Bras, panties, nighties, you name it, and all of them are from some place called La Perla. Do you like them? They're not normally my style, but I realized this morning that I didn't have any of my old pairs left." She looked me in the eye and smiled wickedly. "You ripped them all."

Did I fucking _like_ them?

I stood there motionless, drinking in every detail. The netting hid absolutely nothing from my eyes. I could see her nipples with perfect clarity, hardening more by the second. As my eyes slowly moved lower I could make out the small patch of dark curls at the apex of her thighs. She might as well be naked.

I had no idea why being able to see her through the material had such an effect on me, especially since I had already memorized every inch of her beautiful body. I wasn't being shown anything that I didn't know intimately, but the tease of the fabric just made it so much... _dirtier_.

They were positively indecent.

I loved them.

"Edward?"

_So fucking sexy. So unbelievably fucking sexy. _

My body began thrumming with a now familiar electricity as I stared at her. I was already unbearably hard against the fabric of my pants and my fingers itched to touch her.

_Want. I want. Need. I fucking NEED._

"Hello? Edward?" Bella shifted on her feet as she regarded my still form, which sent a fresh wave of her heated scent towards me. I couldn't stop the growl from ripping loose as I finally snapped and pounced on her.

"MINE!"

Somewhere in the back of my mind it registered that I had actually said that out loud this time, but I couldn't find it in me to care as I grabbed her and threw her back against the wall of built in drawers. I kissed her roughly, forcing my tongue between her lips and tasting her desire. She moaned deeply into my mouth and shoved her fingers into my hair, but her hands were left chasing after me as I pulled away quickly and began kissing my way down her body.

I sucked each of her nipples between my lips, dampening the fabric as I swirled my tongue around the distended peaks. Bella kept trying to hold my head in place and savor each stroke, but I was a man on a mission and I could not be stopped.

When I reached her navel the smell of her arousal was too overpowering to put off any longer, so I dropped to my knees and buried my face between her legs, lifting her thighs up until she was effectively sitting on my shoulders. I slid my hands behind her to cup her ass and hold her to me, pulling her into my hungry mouth.

"Edward! … _Oh God_," she gasped, feeling the tip of my tongue part her folds through the barely there material, the soft netting adding an extra layer of friction against her skin. I licked deeper, trying so hard to consume her and being stopped by the fabric.

_MORE! _

I growled against her flesh and pulled back briefly, causing a whimper from Bella at my departure. Grabbing the wet fabric between my teeth, I tore an opening large enough to taste her properly. I looked up to find her watching me, and I knew that she was enjoying this from the violent spike of her arousal. Keeping eye contact, I brought my mouth to her again, feasting on her properly this time.

When I shoved my tongue inside of her I growled again, finally getting what I wanted. I watched as the vibrations it sent through her body made her arch back and throw her head against the wall, resulting in a loud crack as the drawers were dented in. She knotted her hands in my hair again and pulled me into her, grinding the wet heat of her pussy against my mouth. I slid my tongue along her folds, licking at her juices and sucking on her clit, feeling more of her nectar dripping down my chin as I lapped at the hardened bundle of nerves.

"Oh... _Oh fuck!_… Oh, Edward!" Her body began shaking around me and I could feel her pulsing against my tongue.

_That's it! Come for me! Fuck my mouth and come for me!_

She bucked against me repeatedly, finding her release. After her final spasm, I lowered her thighs from my shoulders as I stood up, sliding up her body until I had her pinned against the wall with her legs wrapped around my waist.

We locked eyes again, hers full of lust and surprise, mine jet black and ravenous.

She pulled my lips to hers, kissing me fiercely and licking her juices from my chin as I made quick work of the zipper on my pants, ripping the material in my haste. Bella reached down and shoved them over my hips until they fell to the floor and I hissed sharply as the cool air hit my skin. I could feel myself bobbing against her bottom so I shifted, trapping my erection against her slick heat.

She looked as if she was about to say something else, but realized quickly that I hadn't spoken one word since we had started and that the time for words was over. Her eyes already told me everything that I needed to hear.

_Fuck me._

Gladly.

I held her gaze as I pressed into her, feeling her stretch to accommodate me. I pushed slowly until I was seated deep inside of her, holding still for a moment as I felt her muscles grip me tightly.

_I'm home again._

I began to move inside her, flexing my hips and thrusting deeply. I knew that I could never get enough of this woman. She matched my movements, grinding as I thrust, our tongues battling for dominance as we kissed. The only sounds in the room were our bodies slapping together, followed by occasional pants and grunts. I slid my arms forward until I could gather her knees in the crook of my elbows, spreading her wider as I braced against the wall behind us and creating an even more delicious friction with the new angle this position provided.

She moaned deeply and I shoved harder, slamming her into the wall, adding a rhythmic _thump, thump, thump_ to the mix.

I had been possessed with the need to claim every bit of her tonight, and from the moment I saw her undressing I had noticed one thought repeating on a continual loop in the back of my mind.

_MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE! MINE!_

With every gasp she made, it was there. _MINE!_

With every thrust of my hips, it was there. _MINE!_

With every tightening of her inner muscles around my cock, it was there. _MINE! _

I even began to hear it with the thumping against the wall: _Thump... MINE! Thump... MINE! Thump... __MINE! _

Our grunts and snarls were getting louder with each thrust. Bella started to shake and tremble again; I could tell from her whimpers that she was close. I felt an answering tightness in my abdomen as I sped up even faster, pounding into her, trying to push her over that final edge before I followed her into the abyss.

_MINE! MINE! MINE!_

I could feel it winding even tighter, bringing me closer, begging me to let go. I looked at Bella's face: head thrown back, biting her lip in pleasure, mouthing a silent _yes yes yes_. Her body gripped me even tighter, telling me that she was _right there_.

_MINE! MINE! MINE!_

I was almost there, so fucking close. I was about to lose it all and completely come undone. I let my eyes travel lower down her neck until it landed on the now prominent silver scar on her collarbone. At that, my mind allowed one new thought to enter before it came unglued.

_Bite._

I thrust deeply once... twice... and on the third I brought my mouth to that scar and bit down. Hard. My body exploded in pleasure, growling loudly, rocking into her as I released what felt like every drop of fluid I had into her welcoming body.

Bella cried out, throwing her head back and making another dent in the wall. She brought her hands up and held my head to her tightly, shaking and spasming and joining me in my climax.

When we had both finished shaking I carefully set her down, dragging her with me down to the floor and tucking her into my body. We laid there together for a while, kissing and touching, silently worshiping each other.

I reached out and lightly trailed my fingertips over the already healing scar. I leaned over and kissed her there, so proud to have my perfect mate. My wife. _Mine._

"So..." Bella whispered. "Is it safe to assume that you like my new underwear?"

**

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A/N: So, do you think he liked them? ;)

Believe it or not, Post Tots is a REAL website, and that pink nightmare really does exist. I am going to post a link to a pic of it on my author page, so if you want to see my inspiration for Renesmee's room, stop by and check it out. I shit you not, it retails at $47,000 American. It seemed like the perfect bed for Alice to choose.

Now, please click that little review button and let me know your thoughts on this chapter. So many things developed as I was writing that I hadn't even been planning on. It was originally just going to be one big recap, but Edward wanted a little more time. And another lemon. ;)


	14. Not Enough Time

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I've updated! Real life has gotten away from me. Also, sadly, this fic is starting to wind down, so it's possible I've been procrastinating a bit. I think ther may be one or two more chapters than I'd originally planned. I didn't get as much covered as I had wanted to in this chapter, but I felt it needed to break where it does. I was originally going to give a brief recap of these events, but I just couldn't. I'm not trying to drag it out as much as it is in the book, but we are hitting that crucial point where Edward just gets shoved aside. He's apparently still a little bitter about that, because he wouldn't shut up again. **

**You may notice that there is a lot of dialogue from the book here, but I wanted to go into Edward's reactions to what's going on. It's not an attempt to plagiarize, I promise, just to explore EPOV.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. I borrow it for my selfish pleasure. **

_Not enough time for all that I want for you_

_Not enough time for every kiss_

_Not enough time for all my love_

_Not enough time for every touch_

_**_

_Make time stop_

_I wanna make time stop_

_**_

_Not enough time for all that I want for you_

_Not enough time for every kiss_

_And every touch... and all the nights_

_I wanna be inside you_

_**_

_We will make time stop for the two of us_

_We will make time stop_

_**_

_Not Enough Time ~ INXS_

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Early the next morning, I laid back against the pillows in our oversized bed as Bella struggled to disentangle herself from my body. This had quickly become another favorite morning ritual to me; watching the pure indecision on her face was always priceless.

The whole process usually took her around two hours. Our lovemaking would always begin to slow and grow languorous as the sun came up, leaving Bella to cuddle against me when we finished as if she were holding on to a lifeline. Every morning I could see the very moment she remembered her motherly duties and that's when the ritual began.

First she would look at the door, undoubtedly thinking of our daughter sleeping in the next room and wondering how much longer she would continue to do so. Then she would look at me. Then the door again. Then she would look at our entangled bodies. Then the door. Then she would bite her lip invitingly. It was usually at this point that one of us would cave and attack the other one, depending on who was feeling more aggressive that day.

Today it had been her.

She had gotten that predatory look in her eye that I was becoming _very_ familiar with and thrown me back down against the mattress, climbing on top of me and sliding herself onto my shaft in one quick motion. Regardless of who started it, we always made quick, fierce work of it as if we were living on borrowed time, about to be separated for months rather than a few hours.

Today had been no different, and as I laid back propped up against the pillows afterward I looked down to find her starting the whole process over again. This time I could tell that her motherly duties were going to win. She hugged me closely, kissed my chest, sighed deeply and finally managed to pull herself away and stand up. I was watching her walk away from me towards the closet to get dressed when I noticed something that made me sit straight up and call out to her.

"Bella, stop!" It was no more than a loud whisper, but combined with my sudden gasp it sounded very desperate.

"What's wrong?" She turned towards me quickly, immediately scanning the room for any cause for alarm.

"Turn around for a moment... _slowly_," I interrupted as she had started to spin in front of me.

"Do I have something on me?" she asked, glancing down at her nude form as she slowly spun for me in the center of the room. I couldn't answer her for a moment. I was completely mesmerized by the breathtaking sight before me. "Edward?"

"So... _beautiful_," I almost moaned. The sun had broken through the clouds early this morning and fallen in a large patch through our French door windows. Bella had walked right into the bright early morning light and stood before me now, completely illuminated.

I had never seen her like this before. There had been brief moments of small patches of light on her flesh, but nothing like this. There were bright prisms of light reflecting off of her skin, shooting faint rainbows on the walls. She was glowing in more colors than I had ever realized existed and her perfect beauty almost hurt to look at. I felt a tight squeeze in my chest and my stomach felt as if I had swallowed a thousand butterflies.

This was _my_ wife.

This... otherworldly... absolutely _perfect_ creature standing before me was _my_ wife.

"Edward?! What is it?" She was beginning to get frustrated from the sound of her voice. I stood up and approached her slowly with my hand outstretched, almost as if she would disappear if I moved too quickly.

"Is this what it feels like for you?" I whispered, holding my own aching chest with one hand as if I could keep my silent heart from exploding to life and bursting through my ribcage. I gently reached out my other hand the rest of the way and stroked the taut skin of her stomach with featherlight touches. "I've never seen... I didn't know..." I couldn't form a lucid thought, let alone an entire sentence.

"What are you talking about?" She looked down just in time to see my own skin hit the same patch of light as I stepped even closer to her. "Oh... _wow_... this looks even more amazing with my new vision." She began touching my chest with the same light touches that I was giving her. She glanced at the soft light reflecting on the walls and smiled. "We make one hell of a disco ball."

"_Bella..._" I choked. I still couldn't speak. I felt a lump rising in my throat that was impossible to swallow. I dragged my fingers higher up her torso until I was lightly cupping her firm breast. I ran my thumb across the darker rose of her areola, marveling at the new reflections that were created as the tissue puckered under my touch. "I've never once... not in my entire life... I've never seen the beauty in our skin. It's always been a curse to me, a reminder of how wrong we are. But _this_?" I leaned down and softly kissed her swollen nipple. "There is _nothing_ wrong about this."

I felt Bella's fingers slowly lace through my hair and turned so that I could look up at her, my head resting against her breast. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling of her stroking my hair for a moment before opening them again to meet her loving gaze.

"This is not bad." I lifted my other hand from my chest and cupped her other breast, repeating the soft stroking motion with my thumb. "This is not evil." I followed my thumb with my lips, kissing so lightly it could have been a whisper. "This is perfection."

"_Edward_."

I raised up slowly until I was level with her delicious mouth and kissed her lips. I felt her tremble against me as I lowered my hand again, pulling my fingers down across her belly until they were slipping through the soft hair at the apex of her legs.

"And this?" I said as I slid my fingers inside her, watching my own skin shimmer as it moved between her thighs. "This is paradise."

"Oh God!" Bella threw her head back and pulled me to her, holding on for dear life as I stroked her tender flesh. I couldn't take my eyes off the sight of our skin glowing together. I wanted to take her away to some secluded place and lay her down in the brightest sunlight imaginable and kiss every single sparkling inch of her skin. I wanted to worship this woman who had taught me how to love not only her, but also _us_ and our new life together.

I knew that we didn't have time for that right now, so I would settle for worshiping her body just one more time before I let her go back to the world around us.

I pulled her down with me to the floor, covering her body quickly with my own and loving the way that her legs wrapped around me eagerly. We were both bathed in the bright sunshine and it took all that I had to keep from crying out loudly at the brilliant sight of my own body entering hers. We weren't frantic with our lust this time as much as we were eager to completely love each other in the small amount of time we had left.

We moved together expertly, bringing each other to the brink within a matter of minutes. She felt so amazing, clenched tightly around me, gripping me with her arms... her legs... her sex. I knew we were both so close... so close... so fucking _close_.

_~Momma? Daddy?~_

Shit!

My head shot up and I looked at the door, making sure it was still firmly shut. She wasn't up yet, but she was slowly gaining consciousness and realizing that we weren't in there already. I leaned back down and kissed Bella quickly, whispering against her lips.

"Hurray, baby... she's almost awake." I ground my hips harder into her, feeling her begin to tighten around me, knowing that bliss was only seconds away for the both of us.

"Should we stop? Should we.. Oh _fuck!_" she moaned against my shoulder. I knew there was no way I could stop at that point, so I did the only thing I knew how and thrust even faster, bringing my hand between us and rubbing against the tight bundle of nerves that I knew would send Bella over the edge.

"That's it, baby," I whispered as she began shaking underneath me. "You're almost there. Come for me one more time... please... Oh God!" I felt her inner walls clamp down on me at the same moment I heard tiny padded footsteps on the floor in the other room.

"Momma?"a tiny voice called out.

"Wait right there, sweetheart!" I yelled out towards the hall, trying not to let my voice crack from the restraint as I pounded Bella even harder, slamming into her now as I felt her finally coming undone. "Just a minute, Nessie... Mommy's... _coming!_" I practically yelped before covering her mouth with my own and swallowing her cries of pleasure as I spilled myself inside her.

The second she finished shaking, Bella jumped up and flew to the closet, throwing on the first thing that her hand landed on, a simple blue dressing gown. She then ran down the hall for damage control and I listened to her in the other room as I took my time getting dressed. I knew that we'd have to switch off in a moment if she wanted to change into something a little more appropriate for visiting before we left.

"I'm sorry baby, Momma's here..." a brief pause, meaning that Renesmee was most likely grilling her with her hand on her cheek. "Daddy's getting dressed, he'll be here soon..." another pause, "No, we didn't forget about you, sweetie, we were just a little... distracted this morning..." I couldn't help the quiet chuckle that escaped my lips. "Mommy and Daddy were just... wrestling... and lost track of the time."

I knew it was probably time for Bella to have a little backup, so I walked into the blindingly pink bedroom and smiled, holding out my arms.

"Morning, baby girl! Where's my hug?" Renesmee jumped out of Bella's arms and leaped at me, kissing me soundly on the cheek and squeezing my neck tightly. "Why don't we let Momma go finish getting dressed?" I saw Bella visibly relax, and I knew without a doubt that her face would have been a violent crimson if she still had the power to blush. Almost immediately after Bella left the room, I felt a tiny hand settle on my cheek and I was dealt my own round of questions.

"Yes, wrestling. We were having such a fun time wrestling that we didn't notice it was time for you to wake up..." I could see her little mind working before she hit me with another one. "No, it's a special kind of wrestling. You can't play like that until you're all grown up. Actually, now that I think about it, you probably shouldn't even think about it until your at least 35... maybe 40."

I was suddenly hit with a new-found respect for Charlie. How he had avoided trying to kill me yet was beyond me, knowing what I did to his daughter on a nightly basis. Just the mere _thought_ of future 'wrestling partners' for my daughter had me quaking in my shoes.

I found myself wanting to hunt down the nearest imprinted wolf and beat the living shit out of him.

_Fucking mongrel!_

When Bella and Renesmee were finished dressing, we all made our way back to the main house to start our day; when Jacob showed up a few hours later, he _might_ have wondered why I scowled at him so harshly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Later that evening, we were deep into our planning for our trip to South America. Bella had convinced me that it was in everyone's best interest for Jacob to join us. Ever since her run-in with Irina, Jacob had barely left our land long enough to sleep and check in with his pack. We all knew that there was no way we could take Renesmee away from him for that long now without a fight.

I appreciated his added protection, but I still couldn't fight off the nagging sense of resentment where he was concerned. She was _my_ daughter. This was _my_ family. Their safety was _my_ concern, _not_ his. I could tell that he felt similar towards me at times. None of us knew how long we would have Renesmee in our lives and it made all of us that much more possessive of her time.

I hated to admit that I was a little glad he wasn't here tonight. He had actually left with Seth and Leah for a while to run over a few final details with Sam's pack before he left with us in a few days.

The house was buzzing with activity, even without his hulking presence taking up his usual perch in the living room. Carlisle and I were going over maps again while Emmett and Jasper were arguing over what big game they were anxious to hunt. Rosalie and Esme were deciding what to pack and Bella was sitting on the couch next to a sleeping Renesmee. It was much later in the evening than we usually stayed and well after her normal bedtime, but we were all eager to get things finalized.

I looked over in time to see Bella brush a loose strand of hair off of our daughter's forehead and tuck it back behind her ear. I couldn't help smiling to myself at the loving caress. These were the two halves of my soul, right here before my eyes. I tried to make eye contact with her from across the room, but she was too engrossed in watching Alice flit around the house.

Alice had been very jittery all evening, arranging and then rearranging every knick-knack in sight. I tried to see what was obviously troubling her so much, but her thoughts were a jumbled mess. She was trying to see something that was as yet unseen. I saw Irina flash in her mind again, and I realized that she was still trying to find out what her intentions were regarding us. She had been trying off and on for days to lock onto her, but she was still wandering around somewhere, torn with indecision.

"Give it up, Alice." I felt a large wave of calm spread throughout the room as Jasper called out to her. "If you haven't seen what she's planning on doing by now, I doubt it's going to come to much." Alice stuck her tongue out at him playfully and continued to wander around the room, this time attacking a vase of flowers for not looking perfect.

I caught the images at the very moment the vase shattered to the floor. The visions flooded my mind as they filtered through Alice's, whose eyes had completely glazed over. Irina had finally made her decision, and her choice had effectively sealed all of our fates.

She had gone to the Volturi... and they were coming for us. I had seen them all... the entire guard... even the wives. They were _all_ coming for us, and their judgment would be fierce.

My gasp was louder than the vase breaking.

I did my best to fill in the rest of the family while Alice tried to work out as many details as possible. It was difficult to keep up with her visions; they were coming in at a more rapid, jumbled rate than I had ever seen before. It was as if she were searching out many futures at once.

The room went into a panic. Battling cries of 'why?' and 'when?' rang out from everyone at the same time.

"_When_?" Jasper asked again, grabbing Alice, visibly shaken at her distant gaze. I saw it when she did this time.

"Not long," we answered in unison.

"There's snow on the forest," Alice continued on her own. "Snow on the town. Little more than a month."

I could see the vision more clearly now. Irina was reporting us to the Volturi and it was as if they were already waiting for her, eager for the chance to jump.

"They're coming now," I whispered.

"But _why_?" cried Carlisle, still trying to process the news. "We have done _nothing! _And if we had, what could we possibly do that would bring _this_ down on us?" None of us could answer him.

Except Bella.

I heard a deep moan from behind me and turned just in time to see Bella drape herself over Renesmee's sleeping body, covering her with her hair, burying her face in her curls. The way that she was instinctively trying to protect her made me feel frozen with fear.

"Think of what she saw that afternoon," she said in a low, haunting voice. My mind started racing, trying to replay the details, looking for any clues as to what she was realizing. I had never been angrier at my lack of insight into Bella's mind. "To someone who lost a mother because of the immortal children, what would Renesmee look like?"

_No... Oh, God... no._

"An immortal child," Carlisle whispered.

I couldn't believe that I had never once put it together. Irina hadn't been mourning Laurent at all that day. She hadn't even batted an eye at the fact that we were still friendly with wolves. She had come here that day and seen an exquisitely beautiful child with powers that were clearly more than human as she had played and jumped high in the air.

This was the cause of her mental anguish over these last days. Irina had mistakenly thought we had created a child vampire, an unspeakable crime. Immortal children were vicious beasts beyond reason. They had all been hunted down and disposed of centuries ago, along with anyone who was foolish enough to create or protect them. Her own mother had been executed for such an offense, which was why she was in such agony over her decision and why it had taken her so long to reach it.

She thought she was reporting a perverse violation of the law. She felt she was doing what was right, her conscience finally winning out over the fact that our families had been friends for a century.

I wanted to be offended that she would even think us capable of such a feat, but I knew this was a sensitive subject with her and she already wondered at our strange interaction with wolves. For all she knew, we had all lost it. I understood her knee-jerk reaction, but she had just inadvertently signed our death warrants.

I couldn't keep my feet from carrying me over to the couch, and before I knew it I was kneeling on the ground in front of them both and wrapping my arms around my wife and child, as if I could somehow shield them even more by curling myself around them.

_No. Not this. Anything but this. _

"But she's wrong," I heard Bella moan from underneath me. "Renesmee isn't like those other children. They were frozen, but she grows so much every day. They were out of control, but she never hurts Charlie or Sue or even shows them things that would upset them. She can control herself. She's already smarter than most adults. There would be no reason..." her voice trailed off, as if she were waiting for one of us to jump in and agree with her. All she received was silence.

My heart sank with the words I knew I had to speak.

"It's not the kind of crime they hold a trial for, love," I whispered into her hair. "Aro's seen Irina's _proof_ in her thoughts. They come to destroy, not to be reasoned with."

"But they're wrong!" she cried.

"They won't wait for us to show them that." No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't keep the pain and desolation from my voice.

I could hardly believe that it had barely been a year ago when I had begged these monsters to kill me after I'd thought Bella was dead, and they wouldn't even entertain the idea. But _now..._ now that I had something that mattered more to me than myself... now that I actually had a happy future that seemed possible... _now_ they were going to end us all without even one chance at salvation.

"What do we do?" Bella demanded. She was not going down without a fight. I envied her naïve optimism.

I had told her she was damned from the moment she met me. I knew there was no way I would be allowed to stay happy, but I was growing increasingly angry that I had been allowed to experience this happiness at all.

_Why?! Why the fuck was I allowed to taste this small piece of paradise, only to have it snatched away?_

"We fight," Emmett answered her calmly.

"We can't win," Jasper growled from across the room.

"Well, we can't run. And I don't know that we _can't_ win. There are a few options to consider. We don't have to fight alone."

"We don't have to sentence the Quileutes to death, either, Emmett!" Bella snapped.

"Chill, Bella." Emmett was completely in his element now. He thrilled to a challenge, regardless the risk. He went on to explain that we had plenty of other vampire friends around the world that we could call upon. They didn't even need to fight with us, if we could simply convince them to bear witness that Renesmee _did_ age. His thinking was that if we could get a large enough group to stand by us against the Volturi, it might give us just the advantage we needed.

"Yes," Esme jumped in. "That makes sense, Emmett. All we need is for the Volturi to pause for one minute. Just long enough to _listen_."

Alice started searching again, spitting out a long list of friends for us to contact: the rest of the Denali coven, Siobhan's coven, various nomads as well as others we hoped might be willing to help us.

"What about Peter and Charlotte?" Jasper asked, worried about his old brother from his past.

"Maybe," she replied distantly, her eyes clouded over again.

"The Amazons?" Carlisle asked. "Kachiri, Zafrina, and Senna?"

His question hung in the air as we all watched Alice. She seemed too engrossed in what she was seeing to have even heard him. I was keeping up with her to a point, but the visions started moving so rapidly that I lost it. I had seen quick snippets of me, Bella and Renesmee, and then it cut to a scene in the jungle with trees everywhere, but I couldn't tell whose eyes I was seeing through before it went black. She shuddered as her eyes cleared and she lowered her head.

"I can't see," was all she said.

"What was that?" I demanded. I had never seen her visions go black that suddenly before; it almost felt as if she was tuning me out. "That part in the jungle. Are we going to look for them?"

"I can't see," she repeated, avoiding my gaze. I had never felt so confused when speaking with her. "We'll have to split up and hurry," she quickly changed the subject. "We have to round up whomever we can and get them here to show them."

She began to zone out again and there was another heavy silence in the room as the rest of them waited for her to speak. I tried once again to follow her, but the images were so foggy and interchanging that it was futile. When she came back to us her eyes still looked blank.

"There is so much. We have to hurry," she said to nobody in particular.

_Something is wrong here._

"Alice?" I asked. "That was too fast... I didn't understand. What was-?"

"I can't see!" she snapped at me. "Jacob's almost here!" I raised my hands in surrender, trying not to take offense at her tone, but my inner bullshit alarm was ringing loudly. She was keeping something from me, I was positive. I just couldn't be sure what it was or why on earth she felt that she needed to.

_Was it that bad? Was she afraid to kill our hope by telling us what she had seen? _

The second Jacob made his way toward the front door, Alice jumped on the fact that he blocked her visions as a reason to leave. She claimed that she needed to get away for a bit and see things clearly. She grabbed Jasper and ran out the back door, yelling back at us as she disappeared into the night.

"Hurry! You have to find them all!" And then she was gone.

"Find what? Where did Alice go?" Jacob asked as he entered the front room. When nobody answered him I could see the worry start to appear on his face. He looked around the room quickly at the blank staring faces, his gaze landing on the broken shards of glass on the floor where the vase had been forgotten. "What happened?"

Nobody knew where to start. Our heads were reeling with all of the information we'd just been given and we were all completely dumbstruck. Jacob stormed across the room and knelt down next to us at the couch.

"Is she okay?" he demanded, practically shoving us out of the way to get to Renesmee, touching her forehead and listening to her heart. "Don't mess with me, Bella, please!" I recognized the panicked tone in his voice; I was too busy trying to keep it out of my own.

"Nothing's wrong with Renesmee," Bella replied, her voice cracking on a strangled sob.

"Then who?" he was looking frantically between us, hoping that our faces might provide some answer.

"All of us, Jacob." she sighed. Her voice sounded as dead as my hope for our future. "We've all been sentenced to die."

He looked at me, clearly hoping I could explain away her worry.

I couldn't.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We sat there all night, afraid to move, all of us scared to walk even five feet away from each other.

I had sat there next to Bella as she held our daughter and stared deeply into her eyes for the entire night. Neither one of us could look away, not saying a word. It might as well have been our last night on earth because nothing else existed for us in that moment but each other. I felt as if I was being ripped apart, my soul shattering into pieces at the thought of not spending forever in the arms of the person who had come to mean more than anything else in the world to me.

I knew that underneath it all was an agonizing worry about Renesmee, but I knew that we would both sacrifice ourselves a hundred times over if it meant that she would survive. As long as we could leave this world together, we would go gladly in her stead.

I held her gaze greedily, memorizing every tiny detail in her eyes, drinking her in like a fine wine. We stayed lost in our own world until the early morning light began to shine through the room. As I saw the reflections begin to sparkle on her face I couldn't help but marvel at the difference between now and the last morning we had spent together.

_Had that only been yesterday? It feels like a lifetime. _

As I began to let my surroundings in again, I realized that something was nagging at me in the back of my mind. Something was wrong. Someone was missing.

_She never came back._

"Alice." It was all I needed to say. The house began to stir again, all of the others seeming to break out of their own frozen mourning.

"She's been gone a long time," I heard Rosalie murmur.

Panic struck me immediately. This was not like her. She would never let us worry, especially not at a time like this.

"She's never taken so long before." I couldn't keep the worry out of my voice any longer. "What ifsomething has happened to her, Carlisle? What if Aro sent someone ahead... someone to keep her from warning us?"

"Fuck!" Emmett yelled, so loudly that Jacob jumped up from the floor where he had been sleeping in wolf form and growled.

We all jumped up in one huge rush and began running out the back door. I heard Bella yell at Jacob to stay with Renesmee and the next thing I knew she was beside me, running as fast as she could. On our

way through the forest Esme noticed a faint hint of Alice's scent, but we kept on until we caught a stronger one of both Alice and Jasper's and followed it all the way up to the Quileute border.

As we neared the border we caught a strong wolf scent and were surprised to find Sam waiting for us in human form. As he walked toward us I was able to read his thoughts and they chilled me to the bone. I stood back and tried to process what he went on to speak aloud.

Alice and Jasper had shown up there around midnight and requested to cross across their lands to the ocean. Sam had escorted them himself and obeyed her request to return to the border and wait for us with a note that she had written. She had made him promise not to tell Jacob anything before we had arrived. He did not look happy as he handed the note over to Carlisle.

Carlisle read it over slowly and turned to us. I was the only one prepared for what he was about to say.

"Alice has decided to leave us." Knowing ahead of time didn't make it any easier to hear.

He handed over the note to us, but I didn't need to read it. I already knew the gist. She merely reminded us of who we were to try and find to help us bear witness against the Volturi. A small list of names and a brief apology. They had left. She had seen something so bad that she had taken Jasper and run away, but because she was blocking me I had no idea what it was.

While everyone else panicked, I couldn't help picking up on Sam's negative thoughts about Alice. I had to restrain myself from snapping too harshly as I defended her.

"We don't know what she saw. Alice is neither unfeeling nor a coward. She just has more information than we do." While I believed what I said, it was still hard to ignore the sting of Alice's departure.

"_We_ would never leave our family!" Sam spit out as if even saying the words left a bad taste in his mouth.

"You are bound differently than we are!" I finally snapped. "_We_ each still have our free will."

Sam didn't agree with her actions, but he made it clear that he still intended to fight beside us if it came down to it. We tried to tell him that he was not required to stand beside us in this, but he considered anything less a failure to protect the loved ones of a pack member.

As we headed back to the house, Esme pointed out the other scent that she had first noticed on the way there.

"It has to be from earlier in the day. It was just Alice, without Jasper." I reasoned. Esme looked sad, but we kept walking until I realized that Bella had fallen behind. When I turned around, she was standing still, staring down the path Esme had noted.

"Bella?" She looked up at me, but she was distracted. As I noticed her hesitation, it dawned on me that she had been acting strangely ever since Carlisle had shown us the note.

_What hasn't been strange about today? She's probably just in shock._

"I want to follow the trail," she said.

"It probably just leads back to the house," I replied. I felt drained of all emotion and couldn't understand why she even cared right now.

"Then I'll meet you back at the house." Her eyes darted around a little bit as she turned away from me and started to walk the trail. Each step she took caused a pulling sensation in my chest, as if my heart was being torn from my body, one step at a time.

"Wait, I'll come with you," I whispered. "We'll meet you back at home, Carlisle." He nodded at me and continued on with the rest of them on the original trail. When I caught up to Bella I noticed that she was looking at me questioningly. "I... couldn't let you walk away from me. It... hurt... just to imagine it."

She smiled in understanding and held her hand out to me. I took it hungrily and kissed her fingers before we picked up our pace again and began running along the new trail, following Alice's scent. As it wound around in a direction that made little sense, I was shocked to find that it didn't end up at the house, but at our cottage.

"She left Jasper to wait for her and came here?" It didn't make any sense. Why?

_Why is nothing making any fucking sense today?_

"Give me just a minute," Bella said quickly as she pulled her hand free and headed toward the door.

"Bella?" I couldn't keep the worry from my voice. She was acting so strangely, barely looking me in the eye.

"Please Edward? Just give me thirty seconds." Before I could even respond she was gone through the door.

_What the fuck is going on?!_

I made it thirteen seconds before barging through the door, only to find her standing in front of the fireplace, watching a book burn.

"What's going on, Bella?" I was more than worried now. I was suspicious.

"She was here. She ripped a page out of my book to write her note on." She still wouldn't look at me. If I hadn't already been watching her closely I wouldn't have noticed.

"Why are you burning it?" I asked her quietly.

"I.. I..." She turned to me now, and I could see uncertainty on her face. If I hadn't been watching her close enough I would have missed it turn into determination. "It seemed appropriate."

"We don't know what she's doing, Bella." I could feel myself unraveling at the seams. I knew that something else was going on, but it was obvious that she didn't want me to know.

"I think maybe she saw something that scared her so much, she did what she had to do to keep herself and Jasper safe. When we went to Italy to save you, she lied to him to keep him away. She knew that if he faced the Volturi that he would die. She was willing to risk all of our lives except his. She has her priorities. I can't say I blame her." She seemed more comfortable now, as if she had settled on whatever cover she had chosen.

"I don't believe it. Maybe it was just Jasper in danger. Her plan would work for the rest of us, but he'd be lost if he stayed." I was grasping at straws, but I badly wanted _something_ to make sense.

"She could have easily told us that, Edward. She could have sent him away."

"But would he have gone? I know that I would never leave you behind. Maybe she's lying to him again for his own protection."

"Maybe," she said vaguely. She grabbed my hand again. "We should go home. There's no time to waste."

I let her lead me toward the door, but it was with a heavy heart.

Something was wrong.

There was something that she had figured out that she wasn't telling me.

I didn't know what bothered me more... the fact that something was so bad that Bella was keeping it from me, or the fact that Bella was keeping something from me at all.

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I just wanted to give a big thank you to all the lovely ladies who voted on me for The Fandom Gives Back. I auctioned off a Winner's Choice Lemon, and I am eager to see what naughty things the winner wants me to write!

Also, I've been noticing a nice increase in the number of people who are putting this on alert, but there haven't been hardly any new reviews. Please please PLEASE try to leave at least one, just to let me know if you are liking it. I get such a great pleasure out of replying to them and it really makes my day!

I'll try to get the next update out sooner!


	15. Visitors

**A/N Wow, this took way longer to update than I'd intended! All I can blame is the holidays, stomach flu, and my Fandom Gives Back oneshot that I spent forever writing for Phoenix Rising, the lucky lady who won the auction. If you haven't checked it out yet, it's posted on my author page, and I've gotten some amazing reviews on it. (very steamy!) Anyway, this story is still winding down, but with each new chapter I write, it seems that I will be writing more chapters. Once again, Edward wouldn't let me skip enough details here, so I am just throwing in the towel and letting him have his way. **

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns this shizz. I make no money whatsoever on it, just the pervy satisfaction of making them say 'Fuck' a lot. **

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When Bella and I returned to the house a few minutes after leaving the cottage, it was to find my entire family already packed and ready to leave. I could tell from their thoughts as soon as I entered the room that it had been determined that we would stay behind with Renesmee while they split up and searched out the names on Alice's list, hopefully persuading them to travel back here to wait with us.

I wasn't very happy with that decision, to put it mildly. I was the fastest of everyone here and it irked me to no end that I wouldn't be out there helping. I felt completely useless and as if I were being put on some kind of punishment until Carlisle explained that my mind reading ability would be put to its best advantage by staying here and helping to suss out the thoughts of our impending visitors. _Someone_ had to greet our guests as they were sent to us, and one of us being a mind reader was definitely a plus. Although I still wasn't happy about it, Carlisle put it into perspective for me by stating that our end of it would most likely be the most difficult. Getting them here was one thing, but convincing them to stay after they saw Renesmee was something else entirely.

"Good luck," I said grimly as they all headed to the door.

"And to you," Carlisle returned. As he pulled the front door closed behind him he added, almost to himself, "We'll all need it." How right he was.

I noticed then that Jacob and Renesmee were huddled in the corner, him in human form again with her perched on his lap. They appeared to be in the midst of another one of their famous one-sided conversations, so I crossed the room and sat down on the nearest couch facing them. Her hand was on his cheek and he was answering her rapid fire questions as she grilled him about what we were all doing.

"I don't know if Carlisle's friends will come. I hope so. Sounds like we're a little outnumbered right now," he told her. Well, it seemed as though he'd taken it upon himself to enlighten her to our little situation. So much for keeping her worry-free for as long as possible. _Fucking mongrel._ "No, we can't help; we've got to stay here," he continued. Well, at least she didn't seem frightened yet.

I watched her frown in concentration before asking him another silent question. "No, I don't have to go anywhere." Suddenly he looked up to meet my face, worry tainting his features. "Do I?" I paused, not knowing what to say. I wanted to ease his fears, but they had just hit on something I was concerned about myself. "Spit it out!" he snapped at me when my hesitation became obvious.

"Well... you see, Jake... the vampires who are coming to help us are not the same as we are," I tried to explain. "Tanya's family is the only one besides ours with a reverence for human life, and even they don't think much of werewolves. I think it might be safer--"

"I can take care of myself," he spit out, clearly agitated.

"Safer for _Renesmee_," I continued, hoping he could see my point, "if the choice to believe our story about her is not tainted by an association with werewolves."

"Some friends," he huffed.

I went on to explain that they would probably be much more understanding under different circumstances. We argued a bit back and forth before finally agreeing that he would stay back at the cottage with Renesmee whenever new visitors arrived until we were ready to introduce her. However he _did_ get me to agree that since Tanya's family was a bit more familiar with the wolf situation, he could remain present tomorrow during the first 'unveiling'. I wanted to be cross with him, but I knew that he only had her safety and protection in mind, and for that I couldn't fault him. _Dammit_.

We continued talking strategy for a while, discussing different precautions he might take with the pack while we had so many outsiders in town. After a few minutes of distracting noise behind me, I glanced back to notice Bella pacing back and forth in front of the rear windows. She was acting very distressed, wandering around, even clicking away absentmindedly at the keys on the computer whenever she paused long enough by the desk as she stared out into the yard. I knew how bothered she was by all of this, and whether she was keeping something upsetting from me or not, I planned on doing my best to make her feel better as soon as we were alone.

I turned my attention back to Jacob, about to remark on something he was saying, when in the corner of my eye I saw the computer screen flash on. I looked back again quickly, but before I could see anything it flashed off. I looked at her face, but her features were still distracted and worried; she was still staring off into the distance, not focusing on any one thing. Or was she?

I kept my peripheral vision trained on her as I spoke to Jacob. Two more times I saw the screen flash on, only to flash right back off again before I could see what it was.

_What the fuck?_

I was getting the distinct impression that I was being fooled again. Whether it was a lie or simply omission, my bullshit detector was on red alert again. I had never seen Bella work so hard to keep something from me before, and that fact was scaring me more than I thought possible. I had thought she simply figured out what had spooked Alice so badly and didn't want to worry me, but she was clearly working on something behind my back, consciously leaving me out of the loop.

I didn't like it. Not one fucking bit.

I closed my eyes and counted to ten, telling myself that this must be of the utmost importance to her for her to act this way. It helped me to keep my mouth shut, but it didn't make me feel any better about it. In all actuality, I was pretty fucking pissed. It wasn't that I was pissed at Bella, but at any situation that would require my wife to act this way.

Renesmee must have noticed that I was studying Bella, because after a few more moments she hopped down from Jacob's lap and tiptoed over to her to see what was wrong. Bella turned around at the sound of her approaching and smiled, opening her arms to catch her as she leapt into them. I watched them talk quietly, Nessie's tiny hand on her cheek. She must have asked her where Alice was, because Bella's face suddenly twisted into an attempt to cry after telling her that she didn't know. Our daughter reached up and stroked her face in comfort, shedding her own first small tears of sadness.

"Don't cry," Bella whispered as she kissed the tears away and hugged her closely. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be fine. I will find you a way through this."

I had never seen her look more determined.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Later that night, when it was Renesmee's bedtime, Bella insisted that we return her to the cottage and her own bed. Although the big house was completely empty now, she wanted to try and maintain even the smallest degree of normality for our daughter's sake. I couldn't argue with her logic, and it also helped to feel more private, since Jacob chose to patrol the woods in his wolf form rather than intrude on our tiny space.

As we walked back through the woods to our small home, I couldn't keep my thoughts from wandering over the day's events. Everything felt so strange to me, as if all we had ever known had been turned upside down on itself. My mind worked at a rapid pace, annoyed at only having a fraction of the information, trying to force mismatching puzzle pieces together to create some semblance of a reality that didn't make me want to scream.

The more my mind wandered over what I knew, the more agitated I became. Alice had left us, fleeing from some unknown future that clearly had her terrified, leaving the rest of us behind to fight blindly. I knew my sister well enough to know that she must have had her reasons, but I couldn't for the life of me think of any justification. My entire family's lives were at risk and I had absolutely no idea how I would be able to help them when the end of the world came for us.

I felt truly angry and bitter for the first time in a long time. I was bitter at this sense of _fear_... this hopeless fear of losing something greater than myself. I finally had something to lose in this world, something to call my own. I had love in my life now, and while I had always worried that it would be fleeting, it seemed that I was only going to lose it now that I'd been given a glimpse of how perfect our future could be together forever.

I watched as Bella cradled a very sleepy little girl to her chest, humming to her lightly as she walked beside me. Renesmee felt my gaze and looked up at me through her drooping lids, managing one final beautiful smile for me before she gave in and let them close completely. Looking at her in her slumber like this never failed to make my chest seize, but it had never been more painful than it was tonight. Somehow, from our love, we had defied all odds and made something even greater and more perfect than the sum of our parts. It seemed almost profane to me that all of this was happening right now because of her existence.

Bella seemed lost in her own world of thoughts just as I had been. She stroked Renesmee's curls as she stared off into the distance, her worry evident on her face.

"Are you ever going to tell me what's wrong?" I said quietly, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her closer to me as we neared the cottage.

"I'm sure it's nothing more than what's bothering you tonight," she replied. "We can't lose her, Edward. We just can't. They can do whatever the hell they want to me, but she must live."

"I know, love. I know. I would gladly give myself up to them if it would convince them to spare her. You do know that, don't you?"

"Yes, of course I do," she answered quickly, almost distractedly.

"Then is there something else that's bothering you? I can't help but feel that you are not all the way here with me right now." Not a lie, and the most direct way that I could ask her without letting her know I suspected more.

"No, I'm just... thinking," she hedged. "It's just been a very long, stressful day. That's all." She shifted her eyes away from me, not wanting to hold my gaze.

"I see." _I see, alright. I see that you are lying through your teeth right now. _

As if all of this wasn't enough, my own wife was keeping something from me. Why? Why on earth didn't she want my help to work out whatever it was that had her so troubled? Didn't she trust me? Even if I couldn't help her, why didn't she want to confide in me? Surely it would comfort her to share something so disturbing... wouldn't it?

When we reached the cottage I held the door open for her, allowing her to carry our sleeping daughter through first so that she could put her in her bed. I hung back, waiting for her in the front room. Under the guise of starting a fire, I crossed the room and examined the charred scraps of what used to be Bella's book. Alice had torn a page from this book to write her note on. It didn't make any sense to me, but something told me that it did to Bella. I lit the fire again, watching what was left of the old Shakespearean comedy as it finished turning to ash.

Something was definitely going on. Why else would she have burned it in the first place? If Bella had found a way for us... if Alice had left her some sort of clue... why wouldn't she share information that was so important? Why wouldn't she allow me to have a tiny ray of hope, rather than this sinking feeling of darkness that was threatening to overwhelm me? There had to be a reason that I wasn't supposed to know. Bella would never intentionally hurt me this way. I still knew enough to know that.

I knew that I had to let this play out without any more interference from me. I had to trust her enough to know that she was doing what she thought was best. If there was some reason that I wasn't supposed to know, my asking repeatedly would eventually make her crack. Keeping secrets from me was something that she was never good at, and I could tell that this was eating her up already.

_Butt out for once, Edward. She'll tell you when it's time. _

Simply deciding that made me feel a tiny bit better, but then my focus shifted immediately to what I _did_ know. I might very well lose everything that mattered to me in just a matter of weeks. The love of my life and the reason for my existence could possibly be taken from this world, and depending on when they saw fit to dispatch me, I might even have to watch. Suddenly the prospect of spending forever with Bella had been snatched away and replaced with a giant hourglass that was already spilling precious moments of our time together. Our life together was now like this book, and I was simply standing around and watching it disappear.

I heard Bella approaching from down the hall, clearing her throat softly as if she was about to speak. When I heard her enter the room behind me, something inside of me snapped. The time for talking had passed. It was time for living.

"Edward, I --" And that was all that she managed to get out before I was on her.

At hearing her voice I growled sharply and spun around, crossing the room in a fraction of a second to silence her with my lips. I was instantly consumed with the need to live every second with her to its fullest for as long as I could. I was desperate for her, feeling as inflamed as the pages of the book I'd watched burn.

She looked startled as I crushed her to me with both my arms and my lips. I held her tightly as I devoured her mouth, only taking a split second to ignite in her the same burning need. I could tell that she felt it as well now, this urgency that had possessed me.

I slammed her up against the wall, lifting her up and wrapping her legs around my waist as I moved against her. I heard a loud thud followed by a distinct cracking sound, and I glanced down to see that an old oil painting that had hung on the wall next to us had fallen down, the frame splitting into two sections.

_Ah, fuck it._ _I'll worry about that tomorrow._

I was already so hard that it felt like I might burst through the fabric of my pants, and I spared no time grinding myself between her legs, leaving absolutely no doubt in her mind about what I wanted from her right now. She gasped around my mouth as I rubbed against her, and I took that opportunity to slide my tongue in between her full lips. I flicked the tip of it playfully at first, then swirled it around her own tongue before sucking on it hungrily. We both groaned loudly at the contact and it only fueled my need even more.

I pulled away from the wall, carrying her with me, until we were back in front of the fireplace. She held onto me tightly, gripping my hair roughly as we kissed, and I sank down to my knees on the rug as I leaned forward and laid her down on her back. I kissed my way over her chin and down her long neck, until I was met with the hindrance of Bella's shirt collar.

I snarled at the offending material and ripped it with my teeth, bringing up my hands to shred it open the rest of the way, exposing her creamy skin to me. She was wearing another one of those flimsy lace bras like she had been wearing the other night, only this one was in a soft coral pink color. I could see her nipples through the open weave of the lace, and I was startled to notice that they were the exact same shade of pink as her skimpy lingerie. I scraped my teeth across the lace until I had sliced a hole through both sides, exposing each hardened peak to my hungry mouth.

I sucked on her roughly, first one swollen tip and then the other, greedy for the taste of her flesh. I could feel the puckered tissue tighten impossibly harder under my tongue as I feasted, my dick beginning to throb in response. I slid further down her body, dragging my tongue down her abdomen as I went, dipping into her navel and kissing along the border of her jeans. I slipped my fingers inside the denim, gripping the edges tightly. When I looked up at her face, it was to find her heated gaze watching me, so I gave her an evil smirk right before ripping the jeans clear off of her in one tear.

Bella gave a startled cry, but from the scent of her spiked arousal that was presently drowning my senses, it wasn't out of fear. I looked at the tiny, helpless scrap of lacy pink satin that was the only remaining obstacle from my ultimate goal and almost chuckled at how sorry I felt for it. The poor little thing hadn't done anything wrong... other than get in my way.

_Sorry, pal. You know the drill. If you try to keep this hot pussy from me, you're going to be destroyed. _

I tore through the panties with my teeth, turning my head quickly to spit them into the fire. Before they had even begun burning I was back, my face buried between Bella's thighs. I inhaled her deeply, rubbing my face against her sex until I was coated with her nectar. I felt her hands plunge into my hair again, pulling me into her deeper as she spread her legs eagerly. I wasted no time, lapping up her juices, sliding my tongue between her moist folds and sucking on her clitoris. Bella urged me to continue, grinding her wet heat into my mouth, tugging my hair so roughly that it hurt.

I growled deeply, sending vibrations through her body, causing her to moan and thrash underneath me. I slid two long fingers inside of her tight opening, curling them upwards to press against her muscles as they gripped me firmly. I flicked my tongue and swirled it around her clit, pressing even harder with my fingertips as I moved them inside her. I flattened my tongue against her, using broad strokes, shoving my mouth into her as she pushed back at me.

Just the taste of her was driving me insane with lust, my cock now throbbing painfully and beginning to leak. I began rubbing myself against the ground, trying to do anything I could to alleviate the building pressure. I could feel the front of my pants starting to dampen from how much fluid was leaking freely. I could not remember ever feeling this much agonizing need before, but I knew that every single time always felt more intense than the last with her, so things were actually just following suit.

My hand was drenched with her dripping fluids as my fingers moved inside her, and her thighs were starting to tremble around my head. Bella suddenly cried out, thrusting herself at my mouth faster and faster as she rode out her release, shoving my face between her legs roughly.

"Oh fuck oh fuck oh _fuck_!" she snarled through her clenched teeth. "Lick it up, Edward. Lick up _every fucking drop!_"

_My fucking pleasure._

Nothing drove me crazy faster than feeling her come against my mouth. Tasting her honey, sucking her juices, I often found myself thinking that she should be labeled as a controlled substance, because nothing else on earth could _possibly_ be this addictive. I lapped up every drop greedily, sucking her clean. I could feel her beginning to shake again, a sure sign that a second climax was fast approaching, her moans and cries of pleasure never abating. The entire time I was grinding my hips into the floor, on the edge of ecstasy myself from simply making her scream.

_Fuck yes! Mine mine mine MOTHER FUCKING MINE!_

Unable to stop myself, I turned my head abruptly and sank my teeth deep into her inner thigh, marking my woman so that she would always remember where my mouth belonged. Feeling myself puncture her flesh again sent me over the edge and I came violently, bucking my hips and growling around my teeth, still planted firmly in her muscle. Bella cried out again, digging her nails into my scalp as she exploded in another primal release.

I could feel my jeans getting damp, so I pulled away from her slowly, licking the already healing wound one final time before sitting back on my calves. Bella was up on her knees facing me in a flash, her eyes wild and black with lust. I knew that if I were to look in a mirror my eyes would look exactly the same. She pulled me to her and kissed me roughly, licking her juices off my chin as she tore the shirt from my body. I returned the favor, wrapping my arms around her and ripping off what was left of her ruined bra and tossing it into the fire to make a matching set.

Bella reached between us as we kissed and pinched my nipples so hard that I nearly yelped, but the pain hurt so good that I was instantly aroused again. I felt her scratch her nails down my torso until she was tearing at my jeans with iron claws, shredding the fabric until nothing was left and my cock was bobbing stiffly against her stomach. She pulled back enough to look down, wrapping her hand around it and squeezing until she had milked a pearly white drop of fluid from the swollen tip.

"You look so _fucking delicious_," she hissed before leaning down and flicking her tongue against the tip. At my sharp intake of breath she slid her hands around me and gripped my ass, digging her fingernails into my skin and dragging me closer, pulling me into her luscious wet mouth in one swift motion. She sucked me in deeply until I bumped the back of her throat, and she continued to swirl her tongue around my shaft as she began moving her mouth up and down on me. Her grip on my ass never let up, and before long she was moaning around me and pulling me in and out of her with her hands. I started to get the hint and began flexing my hips, slowly thrusting in and out, making her moan loudly around me.

"Do you like that, Bella?" I gritted through my teeth. She moaned louder and nodded, never taking her mouth off of me. "You like it when I fuck your mouth, you dirty girl?" She groaned, and I knew she was getting off on the dirty talk almost as much as she was by what she was doing to me. "Then hold on, baby. You're gonna fucking _love_ this."

I grabbed the back of her head, anchoring her as I began to thrust harder, pulling my hips back slowly and pushing them forward again, penetrating her soft lips deeper with each movement. Each moan she made sent vibrations shooting through my entire body, making me thrust harder. I could feel her venom dripping on the skin of my cock as she moved her mouth on me, causing a tingling sensation that was threatening to drive me over the edge faster than I wanted.

I pulled back, dragging her up to meet my lips again. "Not yet," I gasped, more to myself than to her. As wonderful as what she had been doing felt, I wanted to be inside her body so badly that I was ready to weep. I kissed her deeply before yanking her head back by her hair to look me in the eye. "I'm not done with you yet," I growled at her. "Turn around."

She complied, turning around until we were both standing on our knees, her beautiful back pressed against me. I wrapped my arms around her firm body, bringing my hands up to cup her full breasts. As I rubbed and squeezed every gorgeous curve that I encountered, Bella laid her head back against my shoulder and raised her arms up behind her, pulling my head down to her neck. I kissed and sucked the skin where her neck met her shoulder, licking at the silvery ridges of the scars I had left there. In what felt like another life, I would have been mortified that I had made these marks on her skin. But now... I felt only pride. This was physical evidence that she belonged to me.

She was _MINE_.

My need to possess her, body and soul, was what had started everything between us. It had been a mutual need, she had craved me every bit as much and from the exact same moment that we first came in contact with each other. Stemming from this need, our lives had been forever entwined, our bodies pledging themselves in devotion, creating life: a new life together as equals, and a new life that was currently sleeping in a ghastly princess bed down the hall. It only made sense that when our future together was at risk, we would instantly seek comfort in each others' bodies.

I moved one hand down between her legs, slipping my fingers between her wet folds and rubbing slow circles around her swollen bundle of nerves. At the same time, I began grinding myself against her delectable backside, moving closer until my engorged cock was sliding between her thighs. I could feel where her moisture had dripped down her legs, and she was so slick that it felt amazing. My mind was so consumed with the need I had for her body that I could only think on one continual loop.

_Fuck her. Fuck her now. Fuck her right now. Fuck her hard. Fuck her hard RIGHT FUCKING NOW!_

I slid the hand that was currently fondling her luscious breasts around to the back of her head, bending her forward suddenly until her face was almost touching the rug. "Elbows on the floor," I commanded. She glanced back over her shoulder at me, trying to discern how playful I was being, and the fierce look I gave her must have been all the answer she needed. "Now!" I barked. She obeyed eagerly, bracing herself against the coming onslaught, trying to hide a wicked smile as she turned back around.

I took two seconds to appreciate the amazing sight presented to me, my stunning wife bent over and offering herself as if in sacrifice, her gorgeous ass on display and her dripping slit peeking through her spread legs. Two seconds was all I could allow myself, or else I would be spurting cum all over the room like a fire hose rather than deep inside of her where I needed to be.

I took a deep breath, inhaling the mingled scents of our crippling lust. With a deep growl that rumbled low in my chest, I brought a shaking hand to my cock and gripped it tightly, moving closer so that I could position myself at her entrance. When I was close enough to feel her wet heat on my skin, I rubbed the broad head up and down her glistening flesh, causing us both to moan loudly at the contact.

"I hope you're ready, Bella," I taunted, sliding back and forth, nudging her clit with every downward stroke. "It certainly feels like you are."

"Shut up and fuck me!" she screeched, ending with a snarl that made her sound like a cat in heat. Bella loved challenging me when I was worked up, and I was not about to disappoint.

"Oh I'm going to fuck you, Bella." I watched as I slowly pushed the tip inside her opening, stopping after just the first inch. I could already feel her muscles gripping at me, trying to pull me deeper. "I'm going to fuck this tight little pussy so hard that you beg me to stop."

"Never," she moaned, leaning her forehead against the rug and shaking her head back and forth in protest. "Never. I'll _never_ want to stop."

_Me either, baby. Me either._

With a savage growl I grabbed her hips and thrust inside her, shoving myself in all the way to the hilt. We both cried out at the sudden invasion, and I felt her walls stretching to accommodate my girth. I threw my head back and groaned, amazed at how tight she felt. Now, Bella _always_ felt tight, her strong newborn muscles often milked me to within an inch of my life, but whenever I had her bent over for me like this it was intensified to such a degree that it made my head swim.

When we had both adjusted to the feeling of each other I slowly slid out, almost leaving her body before plunging back in deeply. We set up a steady rhythm; she bucked back against me as I moved inside her, pulling her to me by her hips as I watched my cock piston in and out between her legs.

"Oh _fuck_... Bella, you have no idea how perfect you look right now," I gasped. "You have no idea how perfect you _feel_!" I slammed into her harder, pushing faster, reveling in the way that she was squeezing me from the inside.

"It can't feel half as good as your thick cock does inside of me," she cried out, her voice wavering as her body was rocked forward and back with the force of my thrusts.

"Do you like being fucked like this, Bella?" I panted as I pounded into her harder. "Do you like feeling my cock as it sinks inside you? Does your tight, wet pussy want more?" The dirtier I spoke, the more she came unglued.

"Yes... _please_! Oh God, yes!"

I could feel her shaking around me and I knew that she was close to another release, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to hold on this time while I felt her climax around me. There would be more to come, the night was young yet, but we were both so ravenous at the moment that I knew what was about to happen was going to be explosive.

"Come here," I snapped, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her up until her back was against my chest. We both groaned at the new angle and the friction it created. I held her hair tightly at the base of her skull, keeping her in place as I slid my other hand around her hip and started working her clit with my fingers. Our bodies immediately set a new rhythm, rocking together on pure instinct. "Now listen to me," I growled in her ear, almost whispering, "You are going to come for me any second now, and it's going to be huge. I can feel it. Your entire body is quaking around me. Can you feel it, too?"

"Yes!" she hissed, caught between extreme pleasure and the beginning of pain and loving every second of it.

"Who is doing this to you, Bella? Who is making you feel so good?" When I got no reply I gripped her hair tighter, forcing her to look over her shoulder at me. "Answer me, dammit!" She knew damn well when I needed to hear these things, and I knew damn well what she wanted when she refused to give it to me. I wasn't about to let her ignore me on a night like tonight, so I increased the pressure of my fingertips as they worked her clit in tight circles.

"You are," she gasped, beginning to shake even harder. Her hands wound back into my hair again, digging deep into my scalp as they pulled me down to her neck. I licked at her scars again, feeling the venom pool in my mouth.

"That's fucking right, I am," I snarled against her skin. "Should I let you come now?" I asked, pumping harder inside her for emphasis. "Or should I stop?"

"Edward, if you fucking stop right now I'll kill you!" She tried to snap at me with her teeth, but I pulled away before she could catch my neck.

"Oh, I'd like to see you try, little girl." I thrust hard again, making us both groan in the process. "My hot tempered little girl." With every movement of our hips together I was brought closer and closer to my breaking point. I knew that it was time to stop playing around and get serious. "Now, I think I'd like to feel that hot little pussy clamping down on me. Why don't you come for Daddy, little girl?" And with that I yanked her head to the side and sank my teeth deep into her neck, reopening her wound and sucking freely at the stinging liquid that filled my mouth.

"Oh _God_! Yes yes yes yes holy fuck!" she cried out in one long string of moans. Her body clenched me tightly as she shook in my arms, squeezing and pulling at my cock, milking me dry. When I exploded deep inside her in a gushing torrent, I saw white flashes behind my eyelids from the intensity.

_Can vampires have strokes?_ I found myself wondering.

I gently dislodged from her neck and licked at her wound, hugging her to me when she seemed to collapse against my body. I brought her down to the ground again, this time laying in front of the fire with her snugged against my side. I stroked her hair lovingly, examining her neck quickly to make sure that it was healing well.

"I didn't hurt you too badly, did I my love?" I whispered as I fingered her scar, leaning down to kiss the newly healed tissue softly. I was always amazed at how Jekyll & Hyde I felt during and after a bout of intense lovemaking like that, but I could no longer deny the animal part of me that took over, especially when Bella invited it so eagerly.

"Of course not!" She thought for a moment before smiling wickedly. "Well, no more than I wanted. And it was absolutely _exquisite, _Edward!" She smiled again, turning over to kiss me sweetly on the lips. What started out as gentle quickly became more heated, and before I knew it she had run her hand down my torso and gripped my burgeoning erection. "But now..." she teased as she climbed on top of me and slid herself onto my hardened shaft. "Now it's _my_ turn."

"Oh really?" I laughed at her playfulness, but it soon became a groan when she began grinding on me. Hard. "Oh _fuck_!" I could feel my eyes roll back in my head at the hypnotic rhythm she was setting. I tried to grab her hips for leverage but she stopped me, forcing my hands back over my head and slamming them into the floor.

"Now, Edward... why don't we get things started by you telling me whose cock this is?" she practically purred.

"What?" I could barely concentrate on anything she was saying, the thrusting motion of her hips was almost as distracting as the tight grip of her pussy.

"I said... Whose. Fucking. Cock. Is. This?" Each word was punctuated with a sharp snap of her hips.

_I'm a fucking dead man._

"Yours!" I cried out, pumping my own hips back up to meet hers and trying very hard not to explode on contact.

"You're God damn right it is!" she growled, before leaning over and sinking her razor sharp teeth into my neck.

_Yeah... tonight is going to be a long night._

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~_

The next morning we changed quickly in our closet before dragging a still sleeping Renesmee from her bed. It always amazed me how soundly she was able to sleep, especially with the kind of sounds her parents made every night down the hall. As I held the door to the cottage open for Bella to pass through while she held our daughter, she paused to look at me thoughtfully.

"Edward... will you teach me how to fight?" She bit her lip nervously, waiting for my response.

I froze in place, completely taken aback. That had been the last thing I'd expected her to say to me at a time like this. I looked her up and down, unable to ignore how tiny and helpless she appeared. My gaze settled on our sleeping daughter tucked in her arms. I couldn't handle thinking about this right now. I couldn't stand the thought of losing either one of them.

"If it comes to a fight, there won't be much _any_ of us can do," I answered. _Please, just drop it at that, Bella._

"Would you leave me unable to defend myself?" Her voice was even, but I could tell that she had made her mind up.

I gripped the door tightly in my panic, making the wood groan. I couldn't stand the thought of her needing to fight for anything. _I_ was her protector. But, I hated to admit that she had a point. I was her protector, but what if something happened to me first?

"When you put it that way... I suppose we should get to work as soon as we can." This was not something that I would be looking forward to.

On the way back to the house, we talked back and forth about the Volturi and their various powers. Bella was very curious about who had what strengths. She continued to focus on Alec and Jane, making me surmise whether they'd ever had any proper combat training. It took me a moment, but I eventually caught on to what she was doing. My little newborn was strategizing. She knew that she would be unaffected by anything they might do to her, and she was somehow hoping to attack them in some mad attempt at saving us.

"Please, Bella," I gritted through my teeth. "Let's not talk about this."

"Be reasonable." _Reasonable?_ Letting her get herself killed intentionally was reasonable?

"I will try to teach you what I can, but please don't make me think about you sacrificing yourself as a diversion--" My words stuck in my throat. I couldn't even finish my thought in my mind, let alone aloud.

"Well, I have to learn everything. As much as you can possibly cram into my head in the next month," she continued, as if she didn't know that every word out of her mouth was twisting me up more inside.

As we continued walking, Jacob padded up to us in his wolf form, falling into stride next to Bella and Renesmee. Bella nodded her greeting at him quickly and kept right on grilling me about other vampires and their gifts. Eventually she worked her way to the vampires on Alice's list, the ones who might hopefully stand by us.

When we came to Eleazar, who would be joining us shortly, Bella was very unsettled to discover that he had at one time been a member of the Volturi. I explained to her that he was actually a very gentle person who had respected the laws of the Volturi, but had chosen to leave them when he had met Carmen, his mate. Once they had met Tanya and her family and were introduced to their new vegetarian way of life, the peaceful couple had found their new home.

_Was he a warrior?_ I hadn't realized that Jake had been paying attention to anything but Renesmee.

"No," I replied, answering the large wolf's silent query. "He wasn't one of their warriors, so to speak. He had a gift they found convenient."

_And that would be?_ God I had no idea he could be such a smart-ass as a wolf, too.

"He has an instinctive feel for the gifts of others... the extra abilities that some vampires have." I shot back. "He was very helpful to have around when facing others in battle. He could tell Aro what vampires in the crowd were to be avoided. It often led to Aro 'acquiring' a new talented vampire for his guard. Aro was very sorry to see him go."

"They let him go?" Bella jumped in. "Just like that?"

"Believe it or not, Bella, the Volturi are not supposed to be the villains. They are the foundation of our peace and civilization." She scowled darkly at the ground, clearly disbelieving. "They're only alleged to be heinous and evil by the criminals, Bella."

"We're not criminals," she shot back. Jacob huffed his agreement next to her.

"They don't know that," I said somberly.

"Do you really think we can make them stop and listen?"

"If we find enough friends to stand beside us... maybe." I shrugged, not knowing any better answer to give.

At the mention of friends we seemed to both remember our impending visitors at the same time. We all began running to the house, nervous to be ready in time. We spent our last few minutes debating the placement of Renesmee and Jacob. After mulling over a few alternatives, it was decided that I would greet them at the door, and the other three would wait around the corner in the dining room. Jacob had returned to his human form, but he wanted Bella to hold Renesmee for now, so that he could be ready to phase at any given moment if he felt they were threatened.

I stood in the front room waiting, my back against the window wall, listening to the cars pass by out on the highway. I stood motionless, my mind running on overdrive trying to think of the best way to introduce my family. From the dining room a heard a tiny sigh.

"What if they don't like me?" Renesmee whispered from Bella's lap, and all of our eyes shot to her at once. She so rarely ever spoke out loud that it was sometimes jarring to hear her voice, and it was killing me now to know that she was speaking out of worry.

"Of course they'll like--" Jacob began, instantly wanting to put her at ease, but Bella would not allow him to placate her.

"They don't understand you, Renesmee, because they've never met anyone like you." She would not have anyone lie to her right now, no matter how good their intentions. "Getting them to understand is the problem."

She sighed again and I began seeing the images that she was sending to Bella now. There were flashes of vampires, humans, and werewolves... but no others like her.

"You're special," Bella tried to comfort her, "that's not a bad thing."

I watched her shake her little head defiantly, thinking of how upset our faces had been all morning. Her soft voice spoke one more time. "This is my fault."

"No!" I blurted out, only to find that Bella and Jacob had said the same thing at the exact same time. I would not have her blaming herself for simply being born. She had become the shining light in all of our lives from the very moment she entered the world. I couldn't believe that someone so young could take such blame upon herself when nobody else around her even once contemplated it.

Before we could comfort her any further we all heard the telltale sound of a car pulling off the highway onto our drive. I shot to the front door to get in position, saying a silent prayer to whoever might be listening that this would pan out well. I watched as the elegant car pulled up, all four of them exiting in unison. I opened the door before they could knock, unable to quell my skittishness.

"Edward!" cried a tall, striking blonde.

"Hello, Tanya," I replied as warmly as I could manage. "Kate, Eleazar, Carmen." They all mumbled their hellos in return. They were at first concerned for Carlisle, but after I assured them that he was alright, I ushered them inside, explaining that we had something very important to discuss.

"My entire family is in grave danger. But before I explain, I ask for your promise. Listen to everything I say before you react. I am begging you to hear me out."

After a moment of deliberation Tanya finally answered for them. "We're listening. We will hear it all before we judge."

"Thank you. We wouldn't involve you in this if we had any other choice." I went on to ask them to listen closely to the the other room and tell me what they heard. They heard Jacob right away, his werewolf pulse easily distinguishable, but I asked them to listen further. Kate heard it first, the tiny thrumming of her heartbeat. I asked them to remember that sound and to see if they could now smell anything different.

"Is there a human here?" Eleazar whispered.

"No, it's not human... but close. What is that, Edward? I don't think I've ever smelled that fragrance before."

"You most certainly have not, Tanya. Please, _please_ remember that this is something entirely new to you. Throw away your preconceived notions."

"I promised you I would listen, Edward."

I took a steadying breath, hoping they would keep their word. "Alright, then. Bella? Bring out Renesmee, please."

I watched as my wife and daughter slowly appeared through the doorway, Jacob close on their heels. I saw Bella freeze with fear, unable to walk any further into the room. Renesmee turned out to be the bravest one of all, taking a deep breath and peeking out from underneath Bella's hair, facing them all with her little shoulders squared, waiting for their anger. Rather than anger, they showed us fear.

Both sisters shot back against the wall, hissing and terrified. Eleazar threw himself in front of Carmen, hoping to protect her from the vicious beast we had just unleashed.

"Oh _please_," Jacob grumbled behind Bella.

I went to my family and wrapped them in my arms. "You promised to listen."

They immediately thought the worst, preparing to leave and chastising me for committing such an unthinkable atrocity. I did my best to remain calm, reminding them of what they'd heard and smelled.

"She's not a full vampire child. She is half human." They stared at me like I was talking out of my ass. I was growing increasingly frustrated, but I dug in, forcing them to understand. "Hear me. Renesmee is one of a kind. I am her father. Not her creator... her biological father."

I went on to explain how Bella had conceived and carried her as a human, and I had changed her after she gave birth. They didn't want to believe it because they had never seen it before, but I smugly reminded them that we were hardly the first vampire/human relationship, just possibly the first successful one. I knew for a fact that Tanya and Kate had both had their fair share of 'sport' with human men, but they had never been strong enough to avoid the final temptation that I had fought so hard.

"Come now, Eleazar. Surely you see the resemblance."

It was Carmen, instead, who was brave enough to step forward first. She examined her closely, quickly noting that Renesmee had Bella's eyes, but my features. She smiled at her, and Renesmee shot back her most beaming smile yet. I saw her place her small hand on Bella's face, the image of touching Carmen in her mind.

"Do you mind if Renesmee tells you about it herself?" Bella whispered to Carmen, still visibly shaken. "She has a gift for explaining things."

"Do you speak, little one?" Carmen asked, still smiling.

"Yes," she answered, making all of our guests besides Carmen flinch. "But I can show you more than I can tell you." She reached forward and touched her face, causing Eleazar concern but Carmen held strong. She proceeded to 'show' her everything, every little thing that she could think of from the moment she was born. There were the grim images of a dying Bella, covered in blood and reaching out to her. There were various images of me, holding her and singing to her. All of our family flashed through her mind, including all the different ways that everyone played with her: Rose & Alice's fashion shows, Emmett watching Backyardigans with her, Carlisle trying so hard to get her to drink formula.

After a few minutes Carmen finally pulled away and looked at me. "She really is your daughter, isn't she? Such a vivid gift! It could only have come from a very gifted father."

"Do you believe what she showed you?" I asked, our future hanging on her next words.

"Without a doubt," she said simply. Everyone else was shocked at her easy acceptance, but she calmed Eleazar enough to convince him to try, and he in turn convinced the sisters. By the time it was done, Renesmee had won herself four new fans. Bella looked at me in wonderment, unable to believe that it could truly be this easy.

"Thank you for listening," I said quietly, more proud of my daughter in that moment than I had thought possible.

"But what about this _grave danger_ you spoke of? If it's not from this child, then it must be the Volturi. How did they find out about her? When are they coming?" Tanya was very perceptive.

I hated to be the one to break the news to these dear friends about their sister, Irina, but they understood quickly when I began recounting what had happened. They didn't want to believe that their sister could act so rashly, but they knew it was serious when I told them that Alice had seen her go to them. I laid out our plan for them, our hopes that we could gather enough friends to stand by us and bear witness for Renesmee. None of them thought that we would succeed in stopping our fate, but they agreed to stand beside us to the end.

We spent the next few hours going over what we knew with them. Tanya asked about the werewolves involvement, and Jacob was brought into the discussion. They were almost condescending at his fervor, thinking that his plan for the wolves to 'get our backs' if we failed was almost cute.

I looked over to see Carmen still fawning all over Renesmee, with Kate hovering closely, waiting her turn to hold her.

"She is special, that little one. Hard to resist," Tanya smiled.

"A very talented family," Eleazar muttered, pacing back and forth, contemplating our strategy. "A mind reader for a father, a shield for a mother, and then whatever magic this extraordinary child has bewitched us with." He continued to ramble about possible links between hybrids and their gifts when I caught on to something he had said.

_What the hell?_

"Excuse me?" I interrupted. I grabbed his shoulder as he passed me, forcing him to pay attention to me. "What did you just call my wife?"

"Well, a shield, I _think_. She's blocking me now, so I can't be sure."

"A shield?" _Are you fucking kidding me?_

"Come now, Edward! If I can't get a read on her, I doubt you can either. Can you hear her thoughts right now?" he asked.

"No," I huffed. "But I've never been able to do that. Even when she was human." _And don't think it hasn't frustrated me to no end, buddy._

"Never?" he blinked at me. "Interesting. That would indicate a rather powerful latent talent, if it was already manifesting before the transformation." We talked a bit more about what I had seen from her, and he was very impressed that she had been able to block every member of the Volturi that we had encountered.

"A shield! I just can't believe I've never thought of that!" I was unable to keep the swelling pride from my voice. I had always known Bella was different. This was almost like a sign to me; it's as if she were _meant_ to be a vampire... meant to be with me.

Eleazar shook his head in disbelief. "I've never heard of Aro's or Jane's gifts being thwarted. _Never_."

"Momma, you're special," Renesmee said matter-of-factly. She didn't sound surprised one bit. Bella sat there looking dumbfounded, unable to process this new information. She looked up at me, as if I could somehow help her make sense of it all. I just shrugged my shoulders, unable to offer anything more at the moment. I was still caught up in my own disbelief.

_A shield?!_

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**OK, you know what I am dying for! Please click that little review button! I am dying to know how you guys liked the fireplace scene!!! What dirty little nothings would you like Edward to growl in your ear? I promise to try and get the next one out sooner!! **


	16. Even More Visitors

**A/N: OK, some of you will notice that this is a little shorter than some of my last few chapters, but hopefully you'll also notice that it's much sooner than I've been updating. (2 weeks, woohoo! I haven't gotten one in less than a month in forever!) So, in the interest of trying to get them out faster, I hope you'll forgive me. Plus, this honestly seemed like the best stopping point, otherwise it would have been forced and it also would have taken me another week to get it posted. If you've been paying attention, you might have realized that this damn story is taking me much longer to finish off than I'd originally intended. I swear, it truly is winding down, but I am having a little more fun getting into the details than i thought I would. There will still be some summarizing here & there, but also some development where Edward thinks it needs it. Blame him!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. Everything Twilight related is the property of Stephenie Meyer. I'm just not afraid to say fuck and make her characters touch their naughty bits. **

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_Do You Realize – that you have the most beautiful face_

_Do You Realize – we're floating in space_

_Do You Realize – that happiness makes you cry_

_Do You Realize – that everyone you know someday will die_

_And instead of saying all of your goodbyes_

_Let them know you realize that life goes fast_

_It's hard to make the good things last_

_You realize the sun don't go down_

_It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round_

"_Do You Realize" ~ The Flaming Lips_

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_A shield?!_ _No fucking way._

I was still having trouble processing this newest bit of information, but that didn't stop the conversation from continuing around me.

"Can you project?" Kate piped up, finally showing an interest in Bella.

"Project?" Bella looked completely dumbfounded.

"You know, push it out from yourself?" Kate held up her hands in a shoving motion to illustrate. "Can you shield someone besides yourself?"

"I don't know. I've never tried. I didn't know I should do that." Bella sounded almost aggravated with her, and I tried not to laugh as I immediately remembered her telling me once how pissed off she always got at the end of _The Wizard of Oz_, when Glinda tells Dorothy that she had the power to go home the entire time with her ruby slippers. _"If I were her, I'd slap that stupid crown off her damn head!" _she had grumbled.

"Oh, you might not be able to," Kate added. "Heavens knows I've been working on it for centuries and the best I can do is run a current over my skin." When Bella's baffled expression only grew more frustrated, I thought I'd better help explain before she lost her control and achieved her first real newborn temper tantrum.

"Kate's got an offensive skill," I clarified. "Sort of like Jane." I saw her flinch unintentionally at the mention of Aro's pint-sized pain dealer and the suggestion that Kate could do something similar.

"I'm not sadistic about it," Kate said, laughing at Bella's discomfort. "It's just something that comes in handy during a fight."

It was as if Kate had just uttered the magic words. _Handy during a fight._ That was all Bella needed to hear to suddenly turn this boring conversation into something of the utmost importance to her. I was still reeling from her earlier request for me to teach her how to fight, so it made me more than a tiny bit unsettled when she flew to Kate's side and began gripping her arm, demanding that she teach her what she knew.

"You have to teach me what to do!" she barked. "You have to show me how!"

I could feel the energy shift in the room, and I braced myself for Bella's yelp of pain. I saw Kate wince at Bella's strong grip and heard her mentally "switch it on" to force her to let go. It took every ounce of my self control to keep from flying across the room and knocking Kate into next week.

"Maybe...," she ground out through her clenched teeth, "if if you stop trying to crush my radius."

"Oops! Sorry!" Bella seemed embarrassed at her use of brute force, but she certainly didn't seem to be affected physically. I felt the electric current subside as Kate's thoughts drifted back to less defensive waters.

"You're shielding, all right," Kate said, somewhat put out. "That move should have about shocked your arm off. You didn't feel anything just now?"

"That wasn't really necessary, Kate. She didn't mean any harm," I grumbled. _Fucking bitch! My wife is not your god-damned guinea pig! _I would have been more than happy to explain the finer points of playing fair with her, but I quickly realized that neither of them were paying any attention to me. They were already deep into a discussion about projection, and I had been dismissed. I would have been offended if Bella's enthusiasm wasn't so damn adorable.

… _She is very gifted... So many gifted family members here... My God, what have I been a part of?..._

The thought hit me suddenly from another forgotten observer. I turned to face Eleazar, letting him know that he had not gone unheard. He looked up at me and I nodded slightly, urging him to continue. Even if I hadn't been able to hear him, I would worry at the disgusted look on his face.

… _All of those vampires. All of those years. So much talent collected. So much deception... _

I watched closely as his mind's eye relived old memories of his life with the Volturi. There had only been a handful of other punishments that had drawn this much attention from them in the past, and Eleazar was just now realizing that they had all been attached to very important 'acquisitions' for Aro's collection of gifted vampires. Aro would hear of someone that intrigued him, and before long this person and anyone they were associated with would inevitably be found guilty of something that would bring down the wrath of the Volturi, and in a final act of _kindness_, Aro would offer to spare the person in question. In exchange for joining the Volturi, of course.

His thoughts drifted over another set of images, these all including a vital member of the Volturi guard named Chelsea. Chelsea had the power to strengthen or weaken the emotional ties that held vampires to their covens. He was filtering out a pattern in his memories that included her. He had been on hand to inform Aro of any possible gifted immortals, and then Chelsea would swoop in and weaken their ties to their homes, making it easier to accept the offer to join them after whatever punishment had been dealt. This had at one time seemed fair to Eleazar, almost as a way to ease the vampire's transition to a new home, but only now was he realizing that her powers could have been easily used to fool them into feeling stronger ties than were naturally there.

… _They felt honored. They felt spared and given a great gift. Every single one of them. What if it was all a lie? What if it had been one long con after another? What if these immortals left all that they knew behind them on the whim of a power hungry man with the urge to own a shiny new toy?..._

I could see the tortured look on his face as the thoughts worked through his mind. He had spent centuries with them, doing what he had thought was fair and just. He was left now feeling used and nauseated.

I gritted my teeth against the bitter taste his thoughts were leaving in my mouth. This would explain why the entire Volturi guard was moving against us now. This would also explain why they had been poised to strike before Irina had ever approached them, as if they were just waiting for an excuse.

"Can you think of even one exception, though?" I asked quietly. Had _no one_ been able to stand against them? Were they all nothing more than pretty butterflies in Aro's display case? And what if that were to become our true fate?

"I don't want to think of them that way," he snapped defensively, sensing my building ire. "If you're right--"

"The thought was _yours_," I interrupted, "not mine."

"If _I'm_ right," Eleazar corrected, "I can't even grasp what that would mean. It would change everything about the world we've created. It would change the meaning of my life. What I have been a part of."

By now we had four pairs of prying eyes on our conversation. Carmen had first noticed that her mate was feeling troubled, followed closely by Tanya's insistence that we explain, and finally Kate and Bella stopped talking to see what could possibly be more important than mastering the art of projection. I quickly brought them up to speed, telling them about Chelsea and sharing Eleazar's fears.

Eleazar then went on to voice exactly what I had been thinking. The only reason he could possibly imagine for Aro to be traveling here with the entire guard in tow rather than simply sending one or two goons to do his dirty work was that he was coming not to punish, but to _collect_.

"Whoever it is that he wants... he must want them very badly," Eleazar stated.

And suddenly... I knew.

It almost pained me to say it aloud. It came out as less than a whisper. "From what I saw of his thoughts last spring, Aro's never wanted anything more than he wants Alice."

At Bella's sharp intake of breath I was at her side in no time. "Is that why Alice left?" she asked, her voice trembling at the mention of her name.

I stroked my hand lovingly against her face before cupping her cheek, trying to comfort her in any way that I could. "I think it must be. To keep Aro from gaining the thing he wants most of all. To keep her power out of his hands." I felt her tremble beneath my fingers, her fear evident in her worried gaze.

"He wants you, too," she whispered.

Yes. He did. I knew that as sure as I knew he wanted Alice. But I couldn't let her know how right she was, it would only add to her stress. She needed to be strong, for Renesmee... and herself.

I relaxed my features and shrugged, betraying no emotion. "Not nearly as much. I can't really give him anything more than he already has. And of course that's dependent on his finding a way to force me to do his will. He knows me, and he knows how unlikely that is."

"He also knows your weaknesses, Edward," Eleazar frowned, looking pointedly at Bella.

"It's nothing we need to discuss now," I spit out, willing him to take the hint, but in true Eleazar fashion, he would not be swayed.

Blatantly ignoring me, he continued. "He probably wants your mate, too, regardless. He must have been intrigued by a talent that could defy him in its human incarnation."

I glared at him openly now. _Shut the fuck up!_ However, one look at Bella told me that it was already too late. She knew that he spoke the truth. We were each others weaknesses, and we would do absolutely anything to keep the other one safe.

We all talked a bit more, the others now convinced that they were being asked to stand against the Volturi in battle. No matter how many times I assured them that we were only asking them to bear witness with us for Renesmee's sake, they remained skeptical. However, I was getting the distinct impression from their thoughts that while they didn't believe that they wouldn't be asked to join us, they no longer minded the possibility of a fight.

My thoughts were cut off by the apparent sound of a car turning off the highway and onto our road.

"Oh crap, Charlie!" Bella moaned.

"No," I said, my attention still focused towards the road. "It's not your father," I continued, hearing the familiar thoughts of a man and a woman. "Alice sent Peter and Charlotte, after all." I looked at Bella and tried to smile. "Time to get ready for the next round."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Peter and Charlotte were merely the tip of the iceberg. By the time Carlisle and Esme returned home a week later, we had over a dozen more vampires gathered under our roof. When Emmett and Rosalie returned a few days after that, even more had filtered in.

They were old family friends from as far as Ireland, Egypt, England... even a few nomads that weren't from anywhere. Save one or two 'neutral parties' that didn't want any sort of involvement, everyone was easily won over by my daughter's amazing gift and loving personality. Our house had quickly become the setting for the _First Annual Renesmee Cullen Fan Club Meet & Greet. _

We were _all_ surprised when another two vampires arrived at the beginning of the following week.

Zafrina and Senna were two out of three of the Amazon coven, and while their presence had been desired, it appeared that neither Carlisle nor Rosalie had been able to contact them. When they were questioned about how they had known to come to us, their answer was more than a bit unsettling.

Alice had sent them.

_Why the hell was she in South America? Had she only gone there to make sure that the Amazons were contacted? Was there some other motivation? _

Regardless of Alice's involvement, I was very happy to have Zafrina here on our side. She had the remarkable ability to send illusions to anyone she chose, and the effects could be extremely disorienting. I would never ask her to fight for us, but should the Volturi not stop long enough to listen, she would be a wonderful ally to have in a pinch.

"I don't understand," Bella whispered to me as I held her to my side after our newest round of introductions.

"Zafrina, would you be so kind?" I asked politely, smiling at our guest. Immediately I was overcome with my new surroundings. Everyone else had disappeared, only to be replaced by lush trees and wildflowers. "Amazing," I gasped.

"What is? I'm sorry, I still don't know what's happening." I could hear Bella beside me, her exasperation growing. It seemed that she was immune to this gift as well.

"It's a very straightforward illusion," I clarified, still looking at the beautiful images around me. "She can make most people see whatever she wants them to see... that and nothing else. For example, right now I would appear to be alone in the middle of a rain forest. It's so clear I might possibly believe it, except for the fact that I can still feel you in my arms." I tightened my hold around her waist for emphasis.

My vision cleared then to bring me back to the present, only to find an amused Zafrina smiling at me.

"Impressive," I said, smiling back. She nodded her head knowingly.

"Can I see?" I heard a tiny voice ask politely. I looked down to see Renesmee in Bella's arms, leaning forward eagerly with her arms outstretched to Zafrina.

"What would you like to see?" she asked in her thick accent.

"What you showed Daddy."

Zafrina scooped her up in her arms, smiling at her as she gazed intently. Within seconds my daughter was clapping and giggling, demanding more. From that moment on, the two were practically inseparable. Renesmee constantly begged for more _pretty pictures_, and Zafrina was happy to comply.

Bella was hesitant at first to leave her in Zafrina's care, but after she spied on a few of the images through Renesmee's gift to make sure they were nothing inappropriate, she seemed to feel more at ease. After that, she was thankful to have someone to help keep her distracted whenever she needed a little free time.

Free time that she wanted for me to teach her how to fight.

The next afternoon found me being dragged off to our meadow. It would have been kicking and screaming if I had thought it would make any difference. To say that I was reluctant to start her training would be the understatement of the century.

"Bella, I just don't think this is the best idea," I hedged as she faced me, bracing herself for my attack.

"C'mon Edward, stop being such a little girl about it!" she huffed.

I sprang at her then, pinning her on her back in less than two seconds flat. When I felt my instincts begin to take over, telling me to rip out her throat, I shot off of her and across the length of the meadow before she could blink.

_This is not going to work._

"I'm sorry, Bella," I whispered.

"No, I'm fine," she said, somewhat dazed. "Let's go again."

_Like hell I will!_

"I can't."

"What do you mean, you _can't_?" she snapped. "We just got started!"

I continued to stare blankly at her, refusing to be swayed.

"Look, I know I'm no good at this, but I can't get better if you don't help me."

When I didn't reply again, I could tell that she was starting to realize that something was wrong. In an effort to lighten the mood, she sprang at me playfully and knocked me down, straddling me quickly. I laid there stiffly as she leaned down and kissed my neck over my jugular, nipping my skin teasingly before pulling away to look me in the eye.

"I win," she declared with a smirk.

I narrowed my eyes at her, letting her know that this in _no way_ indicated a win on her part, but I still remained silent.

"Edward? What's wrong? Why won't you teach me?" Her voice was unsure and I could see her bottom lip beginning to quiver.

_Great! Now you're making her cry, you asshole!_

This was too fucking hard for me as it was, and as much as I didn't want to talk about it, I certainly didn't want to make her cry. I deliberated for a moment, choosing my words carefully, willing her to understand without making me go into too much detail.

"I just can't... bear it," my voice cracked, and I was worried that I indeed _was_ the little girl she had accused me of being. "Emmett and Rosalie know as much as I do. Tanya and Eleazar probably know more. Ask someone else." _Please!_

"But that's not fair!" she yelled over a sob. "You're _good_ at this. You helped Jasper before... you fought with him and the others, too. Why not me? What did I do wrong?"

_You're too damn vulnerable! _My mind was screaming at her, but she still didn't understand.

I sighed deeply, knowing that I would have to explain more if I had any hopes of her actually listening to me and cutting me some slack.

"Looking at you that way... analyzing you as a target... seeing all the ways I can kill you..." I swallowed the painful lump that had formed in my throat, unable to keep myself from flinching at the images in my mind. "It just makes it all too real for me, Bella. We don't have so much time that it will really make a difference who your teacher is. Anyone can teach you the fundamentals." _Just please... not me. I can't take it. _

I ignored her scowl, reaching up to touch her pouting lower lip. Flashing her my most distracting smile, I continued. "Besides, it's unnecessary. The Volturi will stop. They will be made to understand."

"But if they don't? I need to learn this!"

"Find another teacher," I said, leaving no room for argument. She looked at me questioningly for a moment, but the look I shot back at her clearly said _Drop it!_

"Alright," she sighed, finally caving. "I'll talk to Emmett when we get back."

"Thank you," I replied, never meaning it more. I knew that she wasn't going to stop pouting about it for a while, but at least she was willing to back off for now. I brought my hands up to hold the sides of her face, my thumbs stroking against her soft cheeks. "Thank you," I couldn't help whispering again.

Apparently deciding to change the subject, she leaned forward and closed the distance between us, kissing me tenderly. Feeling free for the first time in days, I kissed her back eagerly, sliding my hands into her silken tresses. I was willing to leave it at that, happy to enjoy a lovely kiss with my wife whose company I had missed sorely over the last few days, but Bella was not.

She parted her lips, sliding the tip of her tongue against my mouth, flicking at it lightly until I opened to her. I felt her tongue sweep inside, tangling with my own, until we were fighting each other for dominance. Before I could win she pulled back, leaving a trail of wet kisses down my neck until she was sucking at my jugular again. When her sharp teeth scraped against my skin there I bucked against her involuntarily, and I felt her hips answering mine as she ground back into me.

"Mmm... Edward," she moaned against my throat. "I've missed you so much. It's been so hectic lately with all of these guests underfoot. Have you missed me, too?" she punctuated her question with another grind of her hips.

"_Yesss_," I hissed through my teeth, as if the growing bulge underneath her wasn't answer enough.

"I'm sorry I upset you earlier," she whispered, still kissing and nipping my skin. "Why don't you let me make it up to you?" she practically purred.

_Fuck yes! _My body was screaming loud enough for both of us to hear.

"What about the others? They all have different hunting schedules. Someone could find us." Of course my mouth had to try to fuck everything up.

"Oh, I think brevity won't be a problem for either one of us right now," she laughed, sliding down my hips far enough to grab at my zipper. She yanked so hard that she tore the material, ripping the fly of my jeans wide open.

"Bella!" I gasped, surprised at her assault on my unsuspecting jeans. Before I could finish my thought, she had already freed my erection from its denim prison and sucked it deep inside her mouth. "Holy fuck!" I cried out, unable to stop myself.

She sucked me deeper with each downward stroke of her mouth, bobbing vigorously up and down the length of my cock. She was growling around me, so turned on that I could smell her arousal like a thick fog in the air. I could feel her venom dripping around my shaft, making the sensitive skin tingle with each new movement of her tongue as it wrapped around me.

I couldn't resist pushing up into her wet mouth, thrusting my hips more with each encouraging moan from her. When the tip hit the back of her throat on another upward thrust, instead of gagging slightly and pulling away as she had done in the past, she flexed her muscles in a definite swallowing motion and took me deeper still.

I was actually _inside_ her throat.

"_Fuck_!" I growled as I exploded in thick bursts of fluid. I could feel her throat constricting around me as I spilled what felt like every drop I had to give.

When she finally pulled away, I felt her teeth scrape against the base of my cock. I hissed at the sharp sting of pain, but I was instantly rock hard again. Bella smiled wickedly as she licked her lips, sliding back up my body and pinning my erection between us. I knew without a doubt that she knew exactly what she had been doing when she bit me.

"Mmm... feels like someone's still ready to play," she sighed, circling her hips against me again.

I sat up and kissed her fiercely, wrapping my arms around her waist. When I pulled away I whispered against her lips, "You better be grateful that we'll reach the cottage before the house."

"Why is that?," she moaned, feeling my hands slide back between us and settle in between her thighs.

"Because you'll be able to change without anyone seeing _this_," I snarled, grabbing the moistened denim with both hands and ripping it apart, effectively making crotchless jeans before I had even finished speaking. She gasped loudly, and the smell of her lust slapped me in the face harder than I'd ever noticed before.

I looked down and saw that Bella hadn't been wearing any panties, which was only going to make this easier. I slid two fingers inside her wet heat, coating them in her honey before pulling them back out and slipping them between my lips, sucking her juices off my skin hungrily.

Never taking my eyes off hers, I grabbed her hips and positioned her right above me, until I could feel her wet folds sliding against the tip of my erection. I pulled her down onto me, stopping only once I felt myself beginning to penetrate her.

"Ride my cock," I growled.

Bella didn't need to be told twice.

She sank down abruptly, filling herself with my throbbing dick. I could feel her walls stretching to accommodate my girth, and when she reached the hilt she moaned deeply and threw her head back.

"_Hey_," I barked, reaching up quickly to grab her head and force it downward. "Don't look away from me. I want your eyes on mine the whole time. I don't want you to ever forget who's fucking you."

"As if I _could_," she gasped as I thrust deeply. "Nobody else could ever have a glorious cock like this." Her inner muscles were already gripping me tightly, and she only made it better by rising up and slamming herself back down onto me. _Hard_.

"That's it, baby... don't stop," I coaxed.

I wrapped my arms around her, sliding them up her back until I was holding her by the shoulders, pulling her down onto me harder as I met her with each upward thrust. Her eyes never left mine as we worked each other furiously, and when she was getting close to her release I could see it in her almost-golden eyes as they went jet black. Suddenly, a look of desperation crossed her features.

"Edward.... please!" she moaned, leaning her head to the side.

"Please, what?" I asked, lost in the movements of her body on mine.

"_Please_... do it!" she hissed.

I realized that with the slightest tilt of her head she had bared her neck to me, exposing the raised silver ridges of scar tissue. The meaning behind her action didn't escape me. She had never openly _requested_ for me to bite her; it had always come with goading and challenge at every turn. While that always pushed every last one of my instinctive buttons, the trust that she was showing me now meant more than any stupid instinct possibly could.

She needed me to bite her, and my girl was brave enough to just ask.

I met her gaze again, praying that she could see how moved I was. Tilting my own head the opposite direction, I exposed my own neck to her. "Both of us... together."

She nodded quickly and slammed herself back down on my cock, once... twice... and on the third stroke her body clenched around me. We both moved at the same time, sinking our teeth deep into each others' throats. I felt her razor sharp incisors pierce my flesh, and in that moment I didn't know which bite felt better.

Our bodies spasmed together, clenching and thrusting. We both screamed and howled our release into each others' skin, never breaking contact, giving and swallowing venom in the most delicious transfusion imaginable.

When it was over, we collapsed against each other, not wanting to break our intimate connection but knowing that we had to get back home. As we walked slowly hand in hand back to the cottage to change out of our torn clothing, I was so overwhelmed with the significance of what had happened between us that I felt I needed to change the subject for fear of starting to cry.

_She was right. You ARE a fucking little girl. _Oh, fuck off.

I let my mind settle on a less emotional subject. "So Bella... um... where did you learn that?"

"Learn what?" she asked, confusion clear on her features.

"That trick... with your... um..." I nodded towards her mouth. "You know... with your throat."

"Oh, _that_." She smiled coyly, almost embarrassed... but not quite. "Rosalie."

"_Rosalie?!"_ I stammered.

"Yeah. We've... had a little girl talk here and there. We've both needed someone since Alice left, and it seems we found a few interesting topics to keep our interest." She took one look at the discomfort on my face and started laughing. "What bothers you more, the fact that I got a few pointers from one of your family members, or the fact that it was Rose?"

"Perhaps it's the combination of the two," I joked, trying to rid any thoughts of my siblings and their sexual activities from my mind. I stopped walking and turned to her, leaning down and kissing her quickly. "Actually, I'm very happy that you feel comfortable enough with them now. I'm surprised that Rosalie seems to be coming around finally, but I knew she'd cave eventually." I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and smiled down at her. "Now that I think about it, I might just have to send her a thank you card and some flowers."

"So you liked it?" she said after giggling.

"Uh... that would be putting it mildly."

I took her hand in mine again, leading us back to the cottage. I didn't know what the future would bring for us, but I knew that as long as I had her in my life, it would be worth living.

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**Alright, what are your thoughts?? Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Is there anything coming up that you are really looking forward to seeing from EPOV? Let me know, or else I might skim over it! **


	17. Training, Trust, and Christmas

**OK, it's only been about two weeks, so I think that's good for me!! I'm really trying to update sooner! I'll keep this one brief, but see the end note for some new info.**

**DISCLAIMER: In my mind I own Edward, but in reality Stephenie Meyer does. And she won't share!! **

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_Whenever I'm alone with you_

_You make me feel like I am home again_

_Whenever I'm alone with you  
You make me feel like I am whole again  
Whenever I'm alone with you  
You make me feel like I am young again  
Whenever I'm alone with you  
You make me feel like I am fun again _

_However far away... I will always love you  
However long I stay... I will always love you  
Whatever words I say... I will always love you  
I will always love you _

"_Lovesong" ~ The Cure_

**

I spent the next few days being a guinea pig.

Bella became very wrapped up in her fight training, which Emmett had eagerly taken up in my place, but whenever she finished for the day I encouraged her to work on her projection skills. However, she needed someone to extend her shield over, and for some _strange_ reason I was the only one who was willing to be zapped by Kate's power as she got the hang of it. Bella would have rather worked with Zafrina and her mental images, but Kate felt that the only thing that might jump start Bella's training was to directly put someone she cared for at risk.

Which is where I came in.

Every afternoon we would gather in the back yard and I would hold Bella's hand, praying that she would start to get the hang of it as Kate would zap me. Sometimes it was successful; Bella's shield stretching over me as if it were a protective coating, keeping me safe from harm. _Other_ times...

Other times it hurt like a mother fucker.

A nasty, ass-raping mother fucker.

I don't care how many times she said she was only doing it to help, I think Kate was seriously starting to get off on making me cringe. By the third day, I didn't know which was harder: pretending that it barely hurt or stopping myself from drop kicking Kate into next week.

It also didn't help that poor Bella would get so discouraged every time she had a lapse in her control. With every little flinch that I was unable to hide, she would nearly break down crying and beg my forgiveness, leaving me to try and build her back up again when all I really wanted to do was lick my wounds and slap Kate upside the head.

It seemed as if today was shaping up to be more of the same. There had been a few hits and misses, but nothing I couldn't handle until...

_ZAP!_

I couldn't stop myself from shuddering and hissing in pain this time.

_Fuck! Fuck! Fucking son of a diseased WHORE! _

"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" Bella started chanting, rocking back and forth like she was about to lose it.

"No... you're doing an amazing job, Bella," I gritted through my teeth, pulling her tighter against me. "You've really only been working at this for a few days and you're already projecting sporadically." It was true, regardless of any discomfort I might have to endure. I was unbelievably proud of her and I didn't want her to give up. I knew she only needed a little more encouragement, so I turned to an outside source for backup. "Kate, tell her how well she's doing."

I heard her response in my mind before she spoke and I immediately knew I had asked the wrong person. "I don't know. She's obviously got tremendous ability, and we're only beginning to touch it. She can do better, I'm sure. She's just lacking incentive."

So much for backup.

I suddenly saw Kate's new plan of action form in her mind and I couldn't keep the growl out of my voice when I tried to warn her that it was a bad idea. She convinced Renesmee easily to 'help Mommy,' and I watched with a sinking feeling of dread as she ran and jumped into Bella's arms, eager to finally be of service.

_That's my daughter, you crazy sadistic bitch!_

"Stay away from us, Kate!" Bella snarled, tossing Renesmee onto her back and crouching down defensively, ready to spring. Apparently she shared my views on this new training technique.

"No," Kate replied coldly, stalking towards them with her hand outstretched.

I could see her intentions more clearly now. She didn't want to actually harm Renesmee; she wanted to push Bella far enough so that her protective instincts would kick in and her full power would be released. As a strategy it made sense, but by the look of murderous rage in Bella's eyes, I couldn't be certain that her plan wouldn't backfire in her face.

My beautiful darling wife was poised to kill.

"Be careful, Kate," I warned, wondering if she was even listening to me. _Or else she'll rip your fucking throat out, and I'm not positive that I'll be able to stop her._ _Or even want to._

Just then she dropped her guard, turning to me to ask if I could still hear Renesmee's thoughts from inside Bella's shield. I saw Bella prepare to strike, and as I darted in front of her target I realized that I honestly couldn't hear anything from our daughter's thoughts.

"No, nothing at all," I spit back over my shoulder, never taking my eyes off Bella's furious ones, trying to shift her focus. "Now give Bella some space to calm down, Kate. You shouldn't goad her like that. I know she doesn't seem her age, but she's only a few months old."

"We don't have time to do this gently, Edward. We're going to have to push her. We only have a few weeks, and she's got the potential to –"

"Back _off_ for a minute, Kate!" _Or else I'll let her rip you to shreds, you fucking idiot!_

I kept my eyes trained on Bella, watching her visibly calm as Renesmee gently showed her images of us, reminding her that no harm was intended. As furious as she still was, she seemed to agree with Kate's logic to some degree, because I soon felt her hand slide around my waist and heard her breathlessly ask her to continue.

"Again," she panted with her efforts, glaring at her sharply before adding, "Edward only."

Whatever she was doing differently, it worked this time. There was no zap. Kate tried her hardest over and over again until she sounded almost winded, but the pain never came.

By now we had drawn an audience, and Zafrina stepped up to offer her services when Kate grew tired. She decided to test how far Bella could extend her shield, so she made everyone who was watching us lose their sight and raise their hands once it came back. I watched as one hand after another raised into the air, Bella's range increasing further across the yard.

I was amazed to find that I was not affected by anyone's powers while they were outside the shield, but I could continue to hear their thoughts. I also found that I could hear Renesmee again, which I hadn't been able to do before Bella shielded me. It was as if we were inside our own protective bubble, but our powers remained intact.

I still couldn't hear Bella, though.

There had been a small, selfish part of me that had hoped I might gain access to her thoughts once she had allowed me inside her shield. It didn't make sense that I wouldn't be able to hear her when she had clearly pushed her power outside of herself. Why wouldn't that happen? I mean, how was this remotely fair?

Alright... perhaps it was more than a _small_ part of me that had been hoping for it.

I felt Bella beginning to tremble in my arms and I realized that she was absolutely exhausted. I knew right before it happened that her shield was about to snap, and with a loud gasp everyone's vision went black again, my own included. We all agreed that it was time for a break and our sight was quickly returned.

Moments later I heard Carlisle welcoming new guests inside the house, and from the surprise and worry in his voice I darted inside to see if he needed my help. I saw who they were in his mind's eye before I even entered the room and my feet almost stopped in their tracks.

The Romanians had come.

I had never personally met them myself, but from Carlisle's memories of them I wasn't so sure that was a bad thing.

They proceeded to explain that nobody had sent them to us, but they had heard through various sources that we were making a stand against the Volturi, and they were not about to miss the show for anything in the world. Vladimir and Stefan were the last of their coven. They had once been in power long ago, but the Volturi had overthrown their rule over fifteen thousand years before. To say there was some animosity would be an understatement.

Carlisle clarified for them that we were merely asking our friends to stand witness with us on behalf of Renesmee in hopes to prove that we hadn't committed any crime, not for them to rise up against the Volturi. They didn't even bat an eye at the sight of Renesmee and claimed that they wouldn't have cared if she _had_ been an immortal child. They couldn't have cared less what our motivation was or if any crime was committed, as long as there was a chance for a fight.

Regardless of anything else we told the Romanians, their thoughts were full of glee at the sight of so many of us banded together and ready to act. They made it very clear that as long as we were all here, they wouldn't be going anywhere.

This now brought our final total of witnesses to twenty-one.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bella sought me out early the next morning while I was meeting with Carlisle and Eleazar to discuss different strategies for our impending visit. We went over these plans for a few hours each morning, not wanting to miss any possible outcome.

"I'm going to take Renesmee over to see Charlie today."

"Why so soon? We're going over there for Christmas in two days."

"I know, but it's been over a week since he's seen her, and he's starting to get anxious. He wanted to come over today, but in light of all of our new _guests_, I didn't think that was the best idea."

"Alright. Just let me go tell Carlisle and we can go." I started to turn back to the kitchen when she grabbed my arm.

"No, don't be silly. I know how important these meetings are to all of you. I don't want to take you away."

"I really don't mind, Bella. I'd hate for you to be alone if something should happen." _And I really miss you when you're gone._

"It's OK. Jake sort of invited himself anyway, and Sue is making lunch for them. We'll be fine. I was just wondering if I could get the keys to the Volvo."

"Of course," I said, handing her my keyring. I needed to remember to get another set made. "We should have gotten you your own everyday car. Maybe you would have driven that one."

"Ha ha, very funny," she grumbled. I knew we were both thinking of the Ferrari that still sat untouched in the garage. I had really hoped that once she got used to her new fondness for speed that Bella would have come around on the idea, but so far she was still happier just running everywhere.

She lifted up on her toes and kissed me quickly, but I stopped her before she could take off again. "Are you sure you don't need me to come?"

"No," she said, a bit too quickly. "Really, it's fine. I'll see you later."

I watched from the window as they piled into the car and pulled away. I didn't return to the other room until the car disappeared from view. I already felt their absence like a hole in my chest.

I was incomplete without my family.

As soon as our meeting was finished I decided to take advantage of my privacy and complete something I had been planning for Christmas. _Well, as much privacy as one could have with two dozen vampires wandering around aimlessly._

We had been so distracted over the last few weeks that I had almost forgotten the song I had composed for Renesmee. In truth, I hadn't felt much like playing the piano since Alice had left. So much joy had left our family that night, and so much uncertainty had taken its place.

I set up my recording equipment with my laptop near the piano and started playing idly, letting my fingers get reacquainted with the feel of the keys before I pressed _record._ Letting my mind wander, I wondered when would be the best time to give them my gifts: before or after we went to Charlie's.

Oh shit. _Charlie_.

I stopped playing abruptly and was already searching the internet before the sound of the piano had finished reverberating. I knew that Bella had been so busy with her training and the stress of recent events that she had never even thought to get something for her father for Christmas. I knew it wouldn't make any difference to Charlie, but I was sure that Bella would feel terrible about it. There was no saying that she wouldn't think of it while she was out and possibly pick him up something small, but I didn't want to take the chance.

I found the perfect gift quickly and had it shipping on express overnight delivery within minutes. As I entered one of my credit card numbers from memory I wondered how I had ever existed without the internet.

As soon as that was done I was back to my piano. Over the next few hours I lost myself in the music, playing everything I had ever composed as well as all of my favorite classical pieces. At one point I looked up to find Esme standing in the doorway watching me, her eyes blinking rapidly from unshed tears. I let all of my emotions pour through me, working through all of the pain and fear that we had been living with constantly for weeks now, finding it amazingly cathartic.

I recorded it all to my computer, converting each song into individual mp3 tracks. When that project was completed I then uploaded all of the tracks to the little hot pink iPod nano that I had purchased for Renesmee. I filled up whatever open space was left on the little device with any songs that I thought she might like. Most of my favorites were there, but I wanted to keep it age appropriate so I left off some of my more _colorful_ selections.

_No gangsta rap or heavy metal for you, little girl._

Instead, I kept it more lighthearted and fun, anything that made me think of her or something she would enjoy. The entire Beatles catalog went on there, for obvious reasons, as well as some sweet indie girl music I had heard her singing along with whenever Alice would watch her, like Kimya Dawson or Uni and Her Ukelele.

I wrapped up the present and stashed it away in the cottage, next to something I'd been hiding from Bella for over a month. When I returned to the house I found that I was still being drawn to my piano, my body craving the much needed release of the music. This time I just played, with no set song in mind, letting the different sounds relax me.

That was where Bella found me two hours later.

I had heard the Volvo turn onto the drive and immediately shifted into the familiar chords of her lullaby. I hadn't even consciously done it, my body just knew she was close and acted of its own accord. When she walked through the door with our sleeping daughter in her arms, I couldn't keep the smile from my face, but I still continued to play.

"Welcome home," I smiled, ignoring every other person in the room. "Did you have a good time with Charlie today?"

"Yes," she said, walking over to me. "Sorry I was gone so long. I stepped out to do a little Christmas shopping for Renesmee. I know it won't be much of an event, but..."

I stopped playing and spun around to face her, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her closer to me. _God, it already felt so much better, just having her back in my arms again._ "I hadn't thought much about it. If you want to make an event of it – "

"No," she jumped in. "I just didn't want to let it pass without giving her something."

"Well, do I get to see?"

"If you want. It's only a little thing. It caught my eye from the window of an antique store while I was driving by."

She dug in her bag until she produced a small velvet drawstring pouch. When she shook it over my hand, a delicate golden locket fell into my palm. I examined it closely, noting the intricate carvings around the border. When I clicked the tiny locket open I was surprised to find an inscription in French across from the little space for a small picture.

_Plus que ma propre vie_

I felt my eyes stinging, so I blinked them rapidly before looking up at Bella. "Do you know what this says?"

"The shopkeeper told me it said something along the lines of '_more than my own life_.' Is that right?"

"Yes," I choked down the sudden lump in my throat. "He had it right." I instantly felt as though everything I had done that afternoon to make my daughter a personal gift paled in comparison with this tiny little trinket, because nothing could be more true.

"I hope she likes it," Bella mumbled, and when I looked back up to reassure her, she looked away quickly, pretending to be distracted by the television.

She could not look me in the eye.

And somehow, in that awkward millisecond, I knew. I knew that we had come back to whatever it was that she was hiding from me. It hadn't escaped me that she had been gone the entire day and only managed to come home with one small locket. A locket that she had just admitted to only noticing in passing.

In passing while doing _what_, exactly?

I could tell from her expression that she was hoping I wouldn't call her on it. It took every ounce of strength I possessed, but I went completely against my instincts and let it go.

"Of course she will," I replied as casually as possible. She met my gaze then, and I could see in her eyes that she knew that she hadn't fooled me, but I could also detect the gratitude that I hadn't pushed her. I resigned myself to the fact that she would tell me when and if it was time for me to know.

"Let's take her home." I knew that there were still dark times ahead for us all, but I was determined to enjoy every waking moment that I could in my family's presence. I stood up and wrapped my arms around them both, embracing them quickly before pulling Bella towards the door.

I wasn't expecting her to hesitate.

"_What?_" I barked, more harshly than I'd intended but unable to control my worry.

"I wanted to practice with Emmett a little..." _Was she fucking kidding me?_ I had been dying for some alone time with her all day, and she would rather _practice_?

"Excellent!" Emmett piped up from the other room. "The forest needs thinning." I glared at him before turning my frown on her.

"There's plenty of time for that tomorrow," I gritted through my teeth.

"Don't be ridiculous," she whined. "There's no such thing as _plenty of time_ anymore. That concept does not exist. I have a lot to learn and – "

"_Tomorrow_," I growled. My tone left no room for argument, and the look in her eye said she finally got what I was saying.

As soon as we made it back to the cottage I had Renesmee deposited in her bed for the night and my cock deposited firmly inside Bella's welcoming body in less than thirty seconds flat. I wasn't slow and I wasn't gentle. I had been so full of mixed emotions all day, combined with my nonstop aching need for her to be as close to me as possible, and her curious actions had only served to stoke the flames of possessive need that I felt.

We had always understood that our private time together was precious, and not something to be squandered unless absolutely unavoidable. Her suggesting that it take a backseat to training with Emmett when I needed her so badly had struck such a raw nerve that I even surprised myself with my aggressiveness.

"Who is fucking you right now?" I snarled, slamming my cock inside of her wet heat repeatedly. I had her bent over her vanity table in our bedroom with her shredded clothes pooled around her feet. My hand was in her hair, forcing her to look back at me in the mirror as I filled her from behind. My other hand gripped her hip, anchoring her against the edge of the table.

"You are," she moaned, her tight body already clamping down on me, ready for release.

_Not good enough!_

I gripped her hair tighter until she met my fiery gaze. "Who am I, Bella? _Who_ is fucking you right now?!" I growled even louder, thrusting harder to punctuate each word.

"My husband!" she cried out, her body shaking around me as she was hit with her first violent orgasm.

_Fuck yes! _I knew it was what I wanted to hear, but actually hearing her say it was driving me over the edge of sanity.

"You better fucking believe it, Bella. I'm your fucking husband," I gasped, pounding even faster now, my own release imminent. "And I'm the only one who will ever get to fuck this tight... hot... pussy... aren't I?"

"Oh God... yes... anything, Edward. Everything. I'm yours and only yours," she hissed, her teeth clenched against another wave of pleasure.

"Forever, Bella!" I cried out, exploding in white hot bursts of euphoria.

"Please, Edward!" she whimpered, teetering on the brink of another climax. "Bite me! _Now_!"

I was already way ahead of her.

I pulled her back against my chest, and our eyes met again in the mirror at the same moment my teeth broke the skin of her neck. I felt her body grip me tightly as she screamed from the painful pleasure of her release, which in turn caused me to shudder in another explosion of bliss.

After I disengaged from her body I carried her gently to the bed, spending the rest of the night loving her the way that I had intended to from the beginning.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Christmas morning had arrived.

We woke Renesmee at dawn that day, excited to have one normal family holiday with her while we could. Well, as normal as was possible. We all sat down on a sofa in the front room, a cozy fire making the room glow beautifully.

I gave her my gift first, showing her how to work the little iPod so that she could listen to anything she liked whenever she wished. I played her song for her, and she hugged me tightly and whispered, "Love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, my darling angel." Somehow I managed to keep from choking on the lump in my throat as I spoke.

Bella's gift was next, and Renesmee loved the tiny gold locket. When she opened it to find a miniature picture of us inside she granted Bella with the most blinding smile I had seen on her face yet. "Thank you, Momma!" She immediately put her little palm to Bella's cheek, showing her just how much she loved it.

Bella then left her to play with her new toys and sat by me, producing an envelope out of what appeared to be thin air.

"What's this?" I said, turning the envelope over and recognizing her scribbled penmanship on the front.

"It's your present," she said, biting her lip. "I know it's kinda stupid and fairly unnecessary, but I didn't know what else to get someone who already had everything."

I opened the envelope eagerly, dying to know what she had thought to get me. I hadn't expected anything at all from her at a time like this, and I was honestly touched that she'd even thought of me when so much was going on right now.

I pulled out what looked to be a cheaply printed gift certificate.

"Port Angeles Speedway?" I couldn't keep the confusion from my voice. _Bella wanted me to take her to stock car races?_

"I bought us track time."

"You know I don't need to worry about getting tickets around here... wait a minute. Did you say _us_?"

"Yeah. Us. I don't really understand how that fancy car you got me works just yet, and I don't feel safe driving something that fast on the street until I'm comfortable behind the wheel. I thought you might be able to show me."

"I'd love to!"

"And then we can race each other."

I looked up to see a wicked glint in her eye. _Ooh, she knew me well._

"Oh, you are so on!" I hugged her closely, in awe that she would get something that was so clearly perfect for me. When she went to pull away I held onto her. "Wait... it's time for yours now."

"Edward Anthony Cullen, what did you do? You haven't even left the house in forever, how did you get me anything?"

"Well, I've been holding onto this forever... but there's still this little thing called the internet, too. Here, open this." I handed her a large, flat box in a very telltale blue color.

"That better not be from where I think it is!" she huffed.

"Bella, please... humor me. You are my wife, and this could be the only..." I cut myself off. _This could be the only Christmas we ever have together._

She seemed to get what I had been thinking, so she stopped huffing and opened the box to find a velvet box inside. She opened it slowly, gasping when she saw the necklace inside.

"It's like yours!" She touched the custom made family crest as if it were made of glass and would shatter at any moment.

"Well, not exactly. It's smaller and more feminine. Plus, it's not on a cuff." I took it out of the box and lifted it to her neck. "May I?" She leaned forward and allowed me to close the clasp, marking her officially as a member of my coven... my family.

I had them make yours into a locket. That's why I was so amazed that you chose something so similar for Renesmee. Look, I put her picture inside here for you on one side, and mine on the other. That way you can always keep us close to your heart."

"Oh, Edward..." she threw her arms around me, kissing me over and over again. "As if you would ever be any place else!"

We spent another hour just holding each other with Renesmee sitting between us before we decided that we had probably kept everyone waiting long enough.

"C'mon, ladies," I said, taking Bella's hand and lifting Renesmee up into my arms as I headed out the door. "I'm sure that Jacob is already pacing around the house by now, eager to give a certain someone her present. And then we need to head over to Grandpa Charlie's."

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OK, PLEASE review!!! I am trying really hard to keep this updated sooner, but my reviews have been dropping off like crazy! The ones I get are still amazingly positive, but there just aren't hardly any of them any more. Makes me scared I'm doing something wrong!

Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know that I have made an online playlist for Blood and Lust, and the link is in my profile. Also, don't forget to follow me on twitter if you're into that kinda thing, I'm on there all the time & love to chat away. I also give update alerts & such. AwesomeSauce416 (I know, the '76' was already taken!)


	18. The Tea Party

**A/N: **OK, we are winding down here folks. If things go as planned, there should only be one more chapter followed by an epilogue. This one is one of the shortest ones yet, but it was the best place to break before the final showdown.

**Disclaimer: Stephenie owns it all. I just like to focus all of my energies on making fictional characters do the dirty deed. **

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The rest of Christmas was fairly uneventful.

We went to Charlie's house and played _happy human family_ for the afternoon, and I found myself marveling at how tiny it seemed now with Jacob's entire wolf pack taking up every inch of free space. Sue Clearwater had made them an enormous spread and watching them lay into it was one of the more disgusting things I'd ever seen.

Almost as disgusting as the bracelet that Jacob made for my daughter.

I knew that I shouldn't care. I knew that there was nothing salacious intended in his simple gift. It was a lovely little intricately braided bracelet that fit her perfectly.

But the fact remained that it was the Quileute equivalent of a promise ring.

And that shit messed with me.

Bella wasn't phased at all by this, somehow having completely come around to the whole imprinting thing, seemingly overnight. I didn't say a word, but I knew my discomfort had been discovered when she noticed me scowling at it throughout the day. She only smiled and shook her head, for once being the more mature one in the relationship.

On a side note, Charlie absolutely _loved_ the fishing sonar system that I special ordered for him.

_Yep... I rule. _

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A few days later I was holding a sleeping Renesmee in my arms when Bella sought me out in Carlisle's office. I had been walking back and forth in front of his many paintings, bouncing her on my hip and singing softly as I showed them to her, only to realize that she had drifted off to sleep on my shoulder. I kissed her forehead and continued to hum, stopping only when I heard Bella walk through the door.

She looked stunning. She was wrapped in an ivory colored trench coat that stopped mid-calf, and I could just see the edges of oyster hued satin peeking out from underneath.

"What are you so dolled up for?" I asked, bending down to meet her sweet lips in a kiss.

"No reason," she said nonchalantly, not meeting my eyes. "I just thought it was sort of fitting to get some use out of all those clothes Alice bought me, that's all."

_Bullshit_

"Well you look lovely, regardless."

"Thank you," she smiled. "I was wondering if I could get the keys to the Volvo again."

"Of course. Oh, that reminds me," I paused as I reached into my pocket, "I finally had another copy made for you. You certainly seem to prefer driving that Volvo lately."

"What can I say? That Volvo holds some very fond memories for me," she finished with a wicked smirk.

"Me too," I growled low in my chest, dipping my head to kiss her again. When she pulled back she took the new key with her.

"Headed out?" I asked, already knowing the answer. I instinctively pulled Renesmee closer to my chest as I tried my hardest to sound casual. I didn't want to push her to tell me what was going on, but it was still very difficult to allow her to go out without my protection when I knew that _something_ was going on.

"Yes, a few last-minute things..." her voice trailed off, as if it didn't have the heart to finish the lie.

I smiled as warmly as possible, willing her to understand that I would be there for her whenever she was ready to let me in. "Hurry back to me," I said simply, but we both knew that I meant it in more ways than one.

"Always."

As I watched her walk away from me I reminded myself that there had to be a reason that I wasn't supposed to know what was going on. If that something had to do with our safety and Aro wasn't going to see it in my thoughts, I had to be left in the dark.

Knowing it still didn't make it any easier to swallow.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bella was gone all afternoon, so I decided to spend as much time as I could with my daughter. We had surmised from Alice's vision that we only had days before we would be descended upon. She had shown us a definite snow on the ground, and the forecast told us we were due for more inches soon. Carlisle and I had made plans to start a camp early in the clearing in the woods that we had been shown, in hopes of steering things as far away from civilization as possible... as well as to gain the upper hand in being prepared. Since we would be leaving tomorrow, I wanted to focus as much of my attention as I could on Renesmee and her daily routine.

When she woke up from her nap in my arms I asked her what she usually did at that time of day. With so many enamored guests, our little one was such a hot commodity around the house that there were many days that I didn't see her for hours, no matter how much I protested. I could follow her activities through the minds of others, but on many occasions that was the only way I was able to see her until it was time to take her home to the cottage. But not today.

Today I was going to be by her side, and just let _anyone_ try to stop me.

She reached up and touched my cheek, showing me images of Rosalie and a miniature tea set. I groaned under my breath as I headed upstairs, stopping once I reached the spare room that had been designated as Renesmee's playroom. When I pushed the door open, it was to reveal Rose, already setting two places at the small table in the center of the room.

"Looks like it's going to be three for tea today, Rose," I stated. Her thoughts were instantly disgruntled by my intrusion to her playtime, but the look on my face told her that there would be no disagreement tolerated. She faltered for merely a second before smiling stiffly and coming forward with her arms outstretched.

"Hello, little one! Did you bring Daddy to tea? How fun!" She scooped her up and hugged her tightly, kissing her warmly on the cheek. I watched as they shared a moment, Renesmee sending her images of her day so far and Rosalie remarking on each event. It was easy to see that this was a very familiar activity for both of them.

When they finished, Rosalie set her down on one of the tiny chairs. Renesmee smiled up at me and patted the seat next to her, indicating that it was time for me to join in the fun. I hunkered down as gracefully as possible, my legs bent up near my chest. When Rosalie made to join us, Renesmee politely reminded her that I still needed my own cup.

With more grumbling thoughts in her mind, she turned back to the shelf and grabbed another cup and saucer, placing them in front of me with so much force that the antique porcelain nearly shattered. Only then did she sit down across from me, crossing her legs elegantly to the side.

"Why _thank you_, sister dear," I smiled, with what I hoped was my best shit-eating grin.

Ignoring me as usual, Rosalie reached for the dainty teapot in the center of the table. As she lifted it up I detected a very familiar scent. Expecting the pot to be empty, I watched disbelieving as a thick crimson liquid poured out into one cup after another. When my teacup was full I pulled it closer, surprised to feel that it was warm to the touch.

"What is this?" I asked, bringing it up to my nose and sniffing deeply. I knew _what_ it was, but I couldn't place what type.

"Grizzly," she stated simply. When I looked puzzled she embellished. "Emmett gets it for us. Sometimes it's elk or something weaker, but the little one here likes her carnivores." She smiled and nodded towards Renesmee.

"Omnivore," I corrected, wondering why they didn't get mountain lion instead, which was a true carnivore, that being the main reason I preferred it to anything else.

_Smart ass!_ Rosalie's exclamation rang in my head as loudly as if she was physically shouting it.

I watched as my two companions sipped daintily at their drinks. When Renesmee smiled and nodded her encouragement I brought the tiny cup to my lips, allowing the warm fluid to slide down my throat. Looking around the room, I spotted a small electric kettle and realized that Rose had warmed our snack up to a nice, realistic temperature. I also realized with some amusement that this was probably the most elegant meal I had ingested in over ninety years.

"This is quite the lovely meal, ladies," I smiled. "If not a wee bit cramped," I added, nodding towards my oddly-angled legs.

"You should see when Uncle Emmett has tea!" Renesmee giggled, placing her warm hand on mine and showing me the image of an over-sized Emmett practically being folded into a pretzel to fit where I now sat.

After two more cups we excused ourselves, thanking Rosalie for a lovely tea party. She hugged Renesmee once again, and the love that she felt for her was written clearly on her face.

We then made our way back downstairs, finding Emmett already waiting for us in front of the TV that he had turned to Nick, Jr. When he saw us he couldn't stop an enormous grin from breaking out across his face.

"Hey, Kiddo! You ready for some Backyardigans action?"

Renesmee was out of my arms and perched on his lap in less than half a second.

Now, this was normally when I would shake my head and walk away, leaving them to veg out in front of the television, but today was different. Instead, I sat down on the couch next to his recliner and proceeded to watch some of the most mindless entertainment I'd ever been subjected to.

As usual, Emmett and Renesmee knew _all_ of the songs and didn't hesitate to regale me with their own renditions. I would have been horrified if it weren't so damn adorable. By the time the next show started, some ridiculous cartoon about three house pet superheroes, they even had me singing along with an inane song about teamwork.

When I was finally able to drag her away from the brainwashing tendencies of the Noggin programming and her enabler of an uncle, I thought it would be nice if we spent some time with Carlisle and Esme. Their visitations with Renesmee had been greatly reduced since we had been invaded by so many doting guests, and their joy at seeing her again was clearly visible when we found them in the kitchen. We spent a few hours talking and playing card games, each of them showing her their favorite tricks for shuffling. We tried to keep the conversation light, but as we played, Carlisle and I finalized our plans for setting up camp in the morning. We agreed to meet in the clearing at dawn, all of our necessities in tow.

When I noticed that it had gotten dark outside, I said my goodbyes and took my little card shark home for the night. When we reached the cottage I helped her get ready for bed, climbing into that horrid pink pumpkin and taking turns reading with her until she was sleepy. Once she drifted off to sleep I kissed her gently on the cheek and tucked her in, quietly exiting and turning off the light.

As I walked into the front room and grabbed another book, it slowly dawned on me that I was all alone for the first time in months. I had no idea how soon Bella would be back, but I found it nearly impossible to imagine that I had faced this sort of solitude every single night for a century. How fast my life had come to revolve around the two ladies in my life.

And I wouldn't change one damn thing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was almost two hours later when Bella finally arrived to find me finishing another novel. My hungry eyes drank in the sight of her, intentionally ignoring the small satchel that she carried with her that I somehow knew I wasn't supposed to ask about. She set down the bag and slowly removed her trench coat, hanging it up and turning to reveal the rest of the oyster satin dress I had spied earlier.

"You look so lovely," I remarked as she walked towards me. I could feel my heart clenching tighter in my chest with the closer she got to me. My body could recognize that it's greatest source of pleasure in all things was getting closer by the second.

"I'm sorry that I'm so late," she whispered, stopping in front of me and leaning down to meet my lips with a kiss. Her hands slid into my hair and scratched my scalp lightly as she kissed me, finally pulling back to settle them on my shoulders. My own hands latched onto hers of their own accord, rubbing up and down her forearms, anxious to keep the contact going.

"I'm just pleased to have you back," I smiled up at her. "I had forgotten what it was like without you here. What I used to think was simply me being lonely is absolute torture now."

Bella slowly lowered herself to her knees between my legs, leaning forward to lay her head against my chest. She slipped her arms around my waist and held me tightly, closing her eyes and purring contently for a few moments before she spoke quietly.

"I missed you so much tonight, Edward. It's like my body craves your presence or else it goes through withdrawal symptoms. Any longer and I would have started getting the shakes." Her eyes remained closed, but the small smile that played across her lush mouth was evidence that she was also feeling the instantaneous relief that I was. I reached forward and ran my thumb over her lips, thrilled to my bones when she kissed it gently. I ran my other hand through her hair, stroking the silky tresses away from her face.

"We meet in the clearing at dawn, my love. I have the tent for Renesmee and some of her things packed and ready to go."

"So tonight is our last night together here... at least for the foreseeable future, is that right?"

"It would seem so."

Her eyes snapped open and looked up to meet mine, her gaze growing more heated by the second.

"Well then," she smiled, "we don't want to waste any more time. I've already been gone far too long as it is." When she finished speaking I realized that her hands had slid from around my waist to the front of my legs, and she was currently squeezing my thighs.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice almost cracking as her hands landed on the top button of my jeans and began to open the fastening.

"Making up for lost time," she said matter-of-factly.

I locked eyes with her, and the heated desire that stared back at me was enough to make me groan out loud. My body responded instantly, hardening under her lustful gaze. I watched as she popped the row of buttons open at my fly, never looking away from me. When my erection sprang free, she growled low in her chest and took me in her mouth.

"Fuck!" I cried out, my body reeling at the sensation of her mouth wrapping around me. When the tip of my cock hit the back of her throat she swallowed, granting me deeper access. I felt her hands slide back to grip my hips, pulling me forward into her mouth. She wanted this fast... and she wanted this dirty. Who was I to deny her, especially when we wanted the same thing?

Allowing the blinding need that was growing inside of me to take over, I sank my hands into her hair and held the back of her head tightly. I thrust my hips forward slowly, feeling myself sliding further down her throat. Her muscles were constricting around me as I moved and it felt _exquisite_.

She started moaning around me and bobbing her head up and down in time with my thrusts. The vibrations she was creating with her noises were shooting straight down my spine and making my toes curl.

"Bella... _fuck_, baby... I can't hold on!" I gritted through my teeth. She moaned even louder and began moving faster on my dick, encouraging me to finish. When she looked up at me through her lashes I was lost. I thrust forward one last time, exploding in thick bursts that shot down her throat as I snarled my release.

Bella sat back on her knees, smiling wickedly as she licked her lips. "Should I assume that you enjoyed that?" she asked playfully.

"_Stand up_," I growled at her, full of more need now than when she had begun. Once she was on her feet I pointed to the spot on the floor between my legs, watching silently as she obeyed. I leaned forward and slid my hands up the backs of her legs slowly, feeling her skirt gathering around my arms until I reached the lacy edges of her panties. Looking up into her eyes the entire time, I hooked my fingers around the flimsy straps and began to pull them down around the swell of her hips. When they circled her ankles she stepped out of them carefully, leaning her weight on my shoulders for a balance that she didn't need.

I lifted her panties to my mouth, never looking away as I dragged my tongue over the fabric. I could tell from her heavy breathing that she was enjoying the show. Quickly shoving them in my pocket, I raised off the seat slightly and pulled my jeans down around my hips.

"Now..." I whispered, trailing my fingers back up her legs until I was cupping her firm ass. "Fuck me."

Bella straddled me quickly on the couch, letting me guide her into place with the tight hold that I held on her delicious backside. She reached between us to position me at her entrance, and the next thing I felt was the warm paradise of her welcoming heat as she sank down on my never-flagging erection.

"Oh yes!" she hissed, throwing her head back with pleasure. "You... feel... so... fucking... _good!_" she gasped, each word punctuated with her downward strokes. I pulled her down onto me harder, shoving myself back up to meet her thrusts. I wanted to bury my face in her bouncing cleavage, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from hers. There was so much love and need reflected back at me that it made my chest ache.

We moved together like a well-oiled machine, panting into each others mouths as we kissed frantically. All of our fears... our anxieties... every little doubt that we had about what was to come for us in the morning was set aside as we lived in the moment, making each other feel as alive as we possibly could.

"_Christ!_" I grunted when she started to grind against me even harder. "I love when you ride me, baby. I can't ever get enough!"

"I think you know by now that the feeling is mutual," she groaned, swiveling her hips in a hypnotic rhythm. I raised my hand to her face, cupping her chin and pulling her to me for another hungry kiss. When she pulled away I slid two fingers up to her mouth, probing her full lips.

"Suck them."

I nearly came undone when she started swirling her tongue around my digits. The suction of her mouth combined with the grip of her inner muscles on my shaft was enough to drive me insane. I slowly pulled my fingers free from her wet grasp, remembering myself enough to focus on what I had in mind.

Sliding my hand under her skirt again, I reached around her until I was slipping between the perfect globes of her ass. I felt around for the small opening, circling my moistened fingertips around the delicate tissue. I began applying pressure with my middle finger, pleased to feel it penetrate her slightly. I pushed a little more firmly, sliding the finger all the way in.

Bella stiffened briefly at the intrusion, pausing to adjust to the sensation, but after a few moments she was moving on me again. I alternated my thrusting, pushing first my cock and then my finger inside her. She began to rock back and forth with the rhythm, moaning louder with every passing second.

"Edward... that feels so fucking intense!" She cried. "I'm so close!"

"Then come for me, baby. I need to feel it. I need to feel you come all over me. Do you want that?"

"Yes!"

"I can tell. I can feel you gripping me tighter. Look at me, baby. Look into my eyes."

I watched as her fiery gaze locked onto mine. Her eyes had gone completely black; she seemed almost high with her lust. I started shoving harder, rocking her back and forth. I could feel her juices dripping down my cock and pooling where we were connected. She was squeezing me so tightly now that I could barely move inside her.

"That's it, baby... come for me. Oh fuck! I can feel you, Bella, you're right there. Come for me _now!_"

And come she did.

She started shaking and grinding into me so hard that the frame of the couch we were sitting on cracked, finally giving way and spilling us back onto the floor. I held her tight against me, still thrusting, crying out my own release into her mouth as she kissed me violently.

Once we had both come down from our orgasmic high, I realized we were still sprawled against each other on the floor, surrounded by broken pieces of the couch. I slowly stood up among the wreckage, lifting Bella into my arms and carrying her down the hall to our bedroom.

We both knew that this could very well be our last night together. We only had until dawn to share an eternity's worth of loving.

We didn't say our goodbyes that night. We had no time for them.

We only had time for our love.

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OK, so what are your thoughts?? I know that I could have gone into more detail for our couple's last night together, but c'mon, I've gotta save up my energy for the epilogue! Please click that little review button and tell me what you liked. Also... what are you hoping to hear about the showdown from EPOV?? I have some thoughts, but I'd hate to leave anything major out!

**BTW, Blood and Lust was awarded an honorary Golden Lemon Award!! Go to my profile page and click the link to see just what kind of _'tasty'_ award I was given! ;)**


	19. The Dawn Has Broken

**A/N: **OK, boys (boys??) and girls, this is the beginning of the end. I had originally intended for this to be one chapter and then end with an epilogue, but with all the feedback I had requesting a full account of Edward's reactions during the (non)battle, this is shaping up to be one mother of a chapter. I am at a decent place to break it, so I am giving you all the first half now. Don't worry, I am continuing on with this ASAP, so hopefully it won't be too long before the second half is up. (then on to the yum yum times in the epilogue!)

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of it. I don't get paid for it. If I could come up with something to get paid for, believe me I would. Edward has said that he still supports my lunacy anyway and looks forward to anything I might want to have him do in the future, clothed or otherwise. **

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The first streaks of light in the sky found us making our way into the clearing in the woods where Alice had seen the Volturi approaching. It did not escape me that it was the very same clearing that only months before had been the scene of my family's battle with Victoria's army of newborns.

I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps this was an area of the woods that should be avoided from now on.

We met up with Carlisle, already poring over notes that he had loaded into his i Phone. From our calculations, we still had almost two full days before there would be enough snow on the ground to match Alice's vision, but Carlisle didn't want to take any chances. We were going to be ready for them.

We set up camp for Renesmee a few yards back into the trees, Jacob on hand to keep her entertained as Bella and I went over the final details with Carlisle. Bella's presence was not required at this early stage, but keeping any distance from her at this point was unthinkable.

It had become an unspoken understanding between us that no matter what happened to us when this was over, we would not be saying goodbye. Whatever new realm of existence awaited us, we had every intention of entering it together.

We were joined now... joined at the soul that I had once foolishly doubted even existed.

On our second night out there, Bella and I quietly checked on a sleeping Renesmee before locking hands again for our walk around the perimeter. As we pulled away from the tent, the loud rumbles of Jake's wolf-snores that followed after us were downright comical.

"My God!" Bella laughed. "How does she sleep through all that noise?"

"Well," I chuckled, "if you think about it, she's fairly practiced at sleeping through loud noises." I winked at her suggestively, bringing her hand up to my lips and kissing it softly. We allowed our joined hands to fall between us again, swinging them lightly back and forth as we walked in the dark. I noticed the sky clouding up and knew that the snow was going to start any moment now. "At least Jacob will make a good space heater for her tonight, loud as he may be."

After a few minutes of silence Bella piped up. "Doesn't this whole situation seem ridiculously unfair to you?"

"What, his snoring?" I joked. "It's not _that_ bad. You've come pretty close a time or two back in your old bedroom."

"Oh stop!" she smiled briefly before getting serious. "No, it's just that... well... less than a year ago we were all up here for a different reason, and nobody was really that happy. There was so much tension and so much heartache. But now, it's as if everything has magically sorted itself out and we are all, for the first time in any of our lives, positively blissful. Everything has fallen into place, as if it were all meant to be."

"I think you may be right," I whispered, instantly flashing on the image of Renesmee's too-wise eyes meeting mine for the very first time. _Hello, baby girl._

"And now that we have _just_ gotten to this point, it is all being ripped away before any of us have had the chance to enjoy it." Bella's tone was thick with resentment.

"Bella--" I stopped walking, turning towards her so that I could cup her cheek. "You aren't angry about anything that I haven't already raged over myself. I _do_ think this is ridiculously unfair." I kissed her quickly, moving from her lips to her cheeks to her forehead. "All we can do is hope for some sort of positive outcome. If we give up in our hearts now... then it's over before it's even begun, and we are wasting our time here. I don't want to face them like that... already defeated."

She mulled over what I said for a moment, her thoughts visibly turning in that furiously quiet mind of hers. Sighing deeply, she hugged me closely and whispered into my chest. "I'm sorry, Edward. You're right. We've come so far, it's pointless to whine about it now."

I wrapped my arms tight around her waist, pulling her even closer against me. Kissing the top of her head, I closed my eyes and just held her in the moonlight. It was several minutes before I spoke again, and when I finally did, it was with a suspicious lump in my throat.

"Bella... I'm scared, too. Fuck, I'm _terrified_. I don't want things to end like this. But even if they do..." I swallowed thickly. "I wouldn't change one thing. I would rather have a few months of amazing than go back to the hollow existence that my life was before you came into it." I pulled back and smiled down at her. "Besides, who knows? Our love has already defied so many odds, just getting to where we are today. There's no saying that we don't have one more left in us."

She nodded and smiled, but I didn't need to see inside her mind to know that she was wondering who I was trying to convince more, her or me.

As we continued our walk in silence, arms swinging between us once again, I noticed that neither of us were willing to point out the small white flakes that were starting to accumulate on the ground.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

By morning the ground was covered and the others were beginning to arrive.

While Bella stayed by the tent to wait for Renesmee to wake up, I worked with Carlisle to update everyone on our game plan and direct them all to where we wanted to be waiting. By the time I said my fifteenth_ 'family in the middle, witnesses to the sides,'_ I had begun to feel like a cattle herder.

The wolves were content to roam around the treeline, staying back out of sight, but many of the others seemed to need a bit more coddling. I answered question after question, some of which were said aloud and others that were not, yet always while keeping Bella in my line of sight. After a while I saw her dip inside the tent to tend to our daughter, which then freed me up to actually pay attention to whoever was speaking to me.

_No, we are _not_ asking you and Charlotte to fight, Peter. Once again... we are only asking for you to bear witness. Any choice to fight if it should come to that is yours to make. _

_No Emmett, I _don't_ know what time the game is on. I appreciate the positivity, but let's stay focused. _

_No Rose, I _don't_ think those shoes are what I would call 'practical' for this. Don't cry when your heel breaks. _

_No Kate, I have _no idea_ if Garrett is single. I'd be happy to check into that for you in, say, a few hours. Kinda busy right now. _

_No Tanya, I _don't_ regret never having had 'just one time.' I realize that you aren't offering and are merely curious, but you're SERIOUSLY asking me this right now? _

After what felt like the thousandth idiotic question, I was finally able to shut them all up and create the semblance of a formation. As I was peering out into the line of trees opposite us, I heard rustling behind me and turned in time to see Bella emerge from the tent with our daughter perched on her hip.

Turning to hold my hand out to her, I noticed two things immediately. First: Bella was wearing the ungodly gaudy diamond bauble necklace that Aro had sent her as a wedding gift, and second: Renesmee was wearing the small black satchel that Bella had snuck into the cottage the other night.

The first one, I could only assume, was to at least _attempt_ a friendly meeting with the Volturi. The second one... I really didn't want to think about right at that moment.

I pulled them both into my arms, holding them tightly for a moment. Closing my eyes and breathing deeply, I inhaled the mingled scents of what had become my entire life. I would keep this with me always... this memory of what could be the final time I held my family.

When we separated, Bella swung Renesmee around her back so that her arms were free and stood beside me in our formation. Unable to keep his distance in the woods when Renesmee was in such immediate danger, Jacob broke free from the circling pack and joined us on Bella's other side. I watched as my daughter's tiny hand latched onto his tangled russet fur, both of their thoughts calming instantly.

I would have normally rolled my eyes and grumbled, but I found that I didn't really care that much now. He was able to help my daughter and be there for her at a time when I couldn't. Also, knowing that he was willing to lay down his life for her made it more than a bit difficult for me to resent his attachment anymore.

_Fucking mongrel... making me like him!_

Taking a cue from them, I reached back and grabbed Bella's hand again, feeling instantly comforted by her presence next to me. Without taking my eyes off the line of trees ahead, I leaned down and kissed her cheek quickly, whispering an almost silent _I love you_ against her skin. I then opened my mind as far as I could, seeking out any foreign thoughts. I knew that I would not have to wait long, because at that moment the sky clouded over and I was struck with the memory of Alice's vision.

It was time.

I heard Demetri first; his smug thoughts at tracking us down were so loud he may as well have been shouting. I couldn't hold back the hiss that was almost instantaneous, already annoyed with his smarmy attitude.

_It figures he'd be gloating about finding a group of sitting ducks._

They broke through the trees in one large, fluid movement; their gray and black robes making a very theatrical, ominous sight to the inexperienced eye. Hell, even _I_ was intimidated and I had dealt with them recently. However, I didn't think anyone had ever seen the entire guard facing them down like this before now. I heard more than one mental prayer from our lineup and even had to suppress a laugh at the strangely appropriate vision Emmett was seeing of the scene from that old movie _The Blob_, where the oozing black goo bursts through the theater doors.

We were all taken aback when even more vampires broke through the line of trees. From their thoughts and expressions, these were the Volturi's own sort of witnesses. They were angry and nearly feral with rage, seeking out justice for the crime they were told was committed. I heard Bella moan beside me, and a quick glance in her direction found a look of absolute dread on her face. I could hear what had to be going through her head echoed in all of the others around us.

… _Too many! … We have no chance! … How can we ever outrun them? … _

When I saw Irina's confused face in the crowd I had to bite back the contempt-filled snarl that wanted to tear through my lips. She had brought this down upon us with her bitterness and resentment. I'm not completely ashamed to admit that I felt some small amount of pleasure at the pain on her face when she recognized her own sisters standing up to fight with us. Her confused thoughts gave way to doubt, which then turned into panic.

In layman's terms: The stupid bitch finally knew that she had fucked up royally.

Once I finally got control of my anger I was able to pick up the steady stream of consciousness from the rest of the Volturi. The flood of images I saw then were enough to make my trapped snarl break loose.

In one vision I could see all of our bodies being ripped apart and burned, terminated with extreme prejudice. _That must be Caius. My, he's feisty today._

In another, I saw the lot of us writhing on the ground, screaming in agony. _Well, it seems as though Jane is ready to play._

And finally I saw a vision that made me want to vomit. It was barely there for a split second, only the briefest flash before the owner remembered himself and controlled his thoughts again. But it was enough to make me shudder with rage.

The image showed Aro perched on his throne, a look of wicked amusement on his face, while Alice and Bella sat at his feet covered in flowing robes, their scarlet eyes staring out blankly. I didn't know what bothered me more: the fact that I _wasn't_ there, or the fact that they wore matching collars around their necks that were linked to the largest chains I had ever seen. _Seems as though Aro wouldn't mind starting a whole NEW type of collection. Sick fuck. _

I explained quickly to Carlisle that I had seen our fate. We were to be disposed of or collected. There would be no listening. There would be no mercy. They had already formed so many different layers of strategy that regardless of what they had found when they arrived here, they had planned to leave with one less coven in the world. They didn't even care about the immortal child excuse, but now that they had seen Renesmee, they were perfectly fine to start out with that charge against us.

The guard had been slowly advancing on us this whole time, but when Jacob gave the mental command for the other wolves to join us, the Volturi actually halted. They had never seen so many large wolves in one place, and certainly not in partnership with vampires. Darting my eyes to our flanks, I was surprised to see many more wolves than I had remembered there being before. Some of them were still visibly young, growing boys. The large influx of vampires in the area had apparently spiked the amount of transformations on the reservation, and from their thoughts it was obvious that many of them were terrified.

_Poor boys. So young. Willing to die for people they've never met... and they probably will. _

I wasn't the only one in my family who was thinking this exact thing. Carlisle was beside himself with admiration for the pack. Emmett was impressed with their loyalty. Even Rosalie was having difficulty coming up with any negative thoughts of them. Although she _was_ suddenly saddened that she hadn't looked up more stupid dog jokes to trade off with Jacob.

I was distracted from these thoughts by a loud snarl to my left. Startled to find that it was Bella, and that she looked absolutely murderous, I squeezed her hand that I was still holding to try and reel her emotions in. She was looking back and forth from the young wolves to the Volturi, getting angrier by the second. This was not the time to be hotheaded. I had no doubt in my mind that if I had let her go at that moment she would have launched herself at the guard headfirst into certain death. I knew that Bella was feeling responsible for those young boys' lives, but there was sadly nothing that we could do about it now.

I focused all of my attention on Aro and Caius, who seemed to be having some sort of silent pow wow in front of us. They hadn't moved an inch, and they kept running their eyes over every one of us who was facing them. Even if I hadn't been able to read their thoughts, it would be easy to see that Aro was disgruntled that someone seemed to be missing from our family today.

I had never dreamed that I would be so happy that Alice had disappeared.

I explained to Carlisle briefly that they were weighing their options and deciding who posed the biggest threat. The wolves had made them pause, making them feel outnumbered for the first time in history. Aro didn't count his witnesses among their total; they were simply an audience. For we all knew that Aro _loved_ an audience.

We agreed that Carlisle should take advantage of their hesitation and speak to Aro, since it appeared to be the only opportunity he would get. I stood back and listened to Aro's jumbled thoughts as Carlisle stepped forward and addressed him in a friendly manner. He was instantly suspicious, and it took him a good while before he replied. When he did, the first thing out of his mouth was an accusation that we were conspiring to harm them.

They spoke back and forth for a while, both of them defensively. Carlisle tried numerous times to offer his hand so that he could read his memories, but Caius intervened before Aro could accept.

Reading Caius' mind was like watching a spoiled child cheat at chess. He was constantly looking for every possible angle and advantage, and whenever he was blocked he simply made one up. I wondered in the back of my mind if he also made up words during scrabble.

He was much more insistent of our crimes than Aro, barking out desperate accusations of us faking Renesmee's human traits when Carlisle tried to explain the misunderstanding. When that held no water, he commanded that Irina come forward to defend her claim.

I watched with dread as Irina was shoved forward by a member of the guard. She refused to look at him, her eyes instead locked on her sisters. Outraged at her dismissal, Caius slapped her hard across the face, making Kate and Tanya both hiss at the sight. That finally made her regard him, however all three of the sisters' minds were full of hatred for him now.

"This is the child you saw?" he barked at Irina. "The one that was obviously more than human?"

Her mind was flying at a rapid rate, images of what she had first seen last month warring with the child that was before her now. Her panic rose another notch when she realized that this was the same child, and that she had grown. She knew in that moment, as did I, that not only had she been wrong... but she had sealed our fates.

"Well?" Caius snapped.

"I … I'm not sure." She was wishing now that she could turn back time... that she could somehow change what had happened. She cursed herself for an impulsive fool, and at one point she wished that she had never even met Laurent.

"What do you mean?"

"She's not the same, but I think it's the same child. What I mean is, she's changed. This child is bigger than the one I saw, but --" Caius rose his hand as if to slap her again, his fury evident. It was Aro's turn to intervene this time, convincing him to relax and allow him to question her further.

Aro took her hand, and everything she had been remembering came flooding through his mind. It was always unsettling to me whenever I was around to see Aro's gift. It was worse than trying to keep up with Alice when she used to get extremely detailed visions. When he was finished he was almost giddy with the prospect of needing more information. He agreed that it appeared Renesmee had grown, but felt that someone _more central to the story_ should be the one to explain the situation. His cold, murky eyes landed on me as he reached out his hand.

_Great … now he's just gotten a free ticket inside my head._

I kissed Bella and Renesmee quickly on their foreheads without meeting their eyes. I couldn't handle seeing the worry and fear that I knew I would find there. I clapped Carlisle on the shoulder as I passed him, trying to make light of what was happening, but from the sound of Esme's tortured whimper and the tragic things she was imagining, I hadn't been very successful.

As I made my way across the clearing, I felt a strange tingling sensation surround my entire body. I braced myself, worried that Jane was starting in on her party tricks early, but the pain never came. The feeling was almost familiar, but I had no idea why. Whatever it was, I had never felt it that strongly before. I listened around me, but rather than hearing Jane and Alec's eagerness to use their powers and Caius' fury, there was nothing to suggest what was causing this feeling. And when I finally reached Aro in the center of the lineup, the bizarre sensation stopped abruptly.

Rather than focus on this new piece of the puzzle, I instead put all of my effort into being as arrogant as possible. I held my head high and gave Aro my hand as if I were bestowing the greatest gift imaginable upon a weary peasant... a chance to touch something greater than himself. Aro wasn't offended; if anything, he was amused with my meager display. He understood pomposity better than most emotions.

As soon as he leaned over and took my hand, the transfusion of images began. Every single thought I had overheard from my family and friends recently was entirely up for grabs. They were pulled rapidly from my mind, filtered through his, and sucked back into mine. I saw as he dug backwards through the memories, absorbing the information as it came to him: the witnesses, the wolves, Renesmee's birth. All the major things that he needed to know should have stopped there, but he kept digging deeper. I was now seeing the most intimate details of my honeymoon as it was replayed for Aro's viewing pleasure. I was not completely surprised that he wanted to see this, proving the conception had occurred and all, but I was not exactly pleased at how _thoroughly_ he was reviewing every little image.

… _Bella kneeling in front of me, her hot mouth on my cock … Bella's beautiful ass on display as she bent over and looked back at me suggestively … Bella's glorious pussy spread wide for me before I licked it thoroughly …_

"That's enough!" I hissed under my breath. From the snarling noises I heard behind me, it sounded as if Bella had figured out what he was doing as well.

The visions shifted quickly back to Renesmee, watching her grow and interact with the others. His own thoughts were amused at how fast she appeared to win over everyone she met. When it seemed that he'd finally had enough, he straightened up again and opened his eyes. He looked almost rattled, and his thoughts betrayed that he had never encountered anything like this before in his many years of existence.

"You see?" I asked when he finally met my gaze.

"Yes, I see, indeed. I doubt whether any two among gods or mortals have ever seen quite so _clearly_." I caught one more brief glimpse of Bella flushed with pleasure in his mind before he brought his thoughts back to the here and now. "You have given me much to ponder, young friend. Much more than I had expected."

I saw his thoughts turn to Renesmee again. He was thinking quickly now, wondering if this startling turn of events should derail his original intentions. One thing was for certain: she intrigued him. I didn't know if that was a good thing or not. Keeping her alive was my main priority right now, but I would not have her be added to his collection as a new side show attraction.

"May I meet her? I never dreamed of the existence of such a thing in all my centuries. What an addition to our histories!"

"What is this about, Aro?" Caius barked.

"Something you've never dreamed of, my practical friend. Take a moment to ponder, for the justice we intended to deliver no longer applies."

I would have caught his double meaning even if I hadn't heard it loud and clear in his mind. _Ponder_. The justice they _intended_ to deliver no longer applied, but that didn't mean that Caius couldn't dream up another one in the blink of an eye. Aro hadn't decided what he wanted to do with us just yet, but he was giving Caius the signal to be ready to roll with the punches.

"Will you introduce me to your daughter?" he asked me again. A loud gasp rang out from many members of the guard, as well as their so-called witnesses. Whatever they had been expecting to hear today, the word _daughter_ was not part of it.

I reluctantly agreed, knowing that it was necessary and yet still very worried about his motives. Since Aro could feel my hesitation at bringing her over as close to them as I was, he agreed to compromise by walking back to the middle of the clearing, bringing along Felix and Demetri to appease the guard. When we were an equal distance between the two groups we stopped and I called out, "Bella, bring Renesmee … and a few friends." I wasn't about to let Aro be the only one with some backup should things turn ugly.

"Jacob? Emmett?" she asked. Emmett couldn't keep the huge smile from spreading across his face as they came forward, flanking Bella. He had been waiting eagerly for this.

"Interesting company you keep," Demetri sneered. Nobody from their side was comfortable having Jacob this close to Aro.

"I hear her strange heart," Aro whispered once we had all gathered in the center. "I smell her strange scent." Then his gaze shifted to Bella. "In truth, young Bella, immortality does become you most extraordinarily. It is as if you were designed for this life. You liked my gift?" he asked, nodding at the enormous diamond pendant hanging at her throat.

"It's beautiful, and very, very generous of you. Thank you. I probably should have sent a note." For all of the bottled rage she had exhibited earlier, Bella was the vision of diplomacy now.

"Oh, it's just a little something I had lying around," he laughed. "I thought it might complement your new face, and so it does." A quiet hiss could be heard behind us.

… _Master gave her a present?! … _Jane was not pleased.

"May I greet your daughter, lovely Bella?" She nodded, walking slowly forward. The closer she got, the more it hurt in my chest to see the two loves of my life so near to a possible death. When they were face to face he smiled. "But she's exquisite! So like you and Edward. Hello, Renesmee."

I saw her look at Bella for permission before answering, not sure what to think of this strange man. "Hello, Aro," she replied in her singsong voice.

"What _is_ it?" Caius hissed from the group behind us, his thoughts angry that he was being forced to ask.

"Half mortal, half immortal," Aro called back. "Conceived so, and carried by this newborn while she was still human."

"Impossible!"

"Do you think they've fooled me, then? Is the heartbeat you hear a trickery as well?" He reached out his hand in offering to Renesmee, wanting to see her thoughts as well, but she stretched upward and put her tiny hand to his face instead.

The visions started immediately, everything that she had shown our other guests. Aro took them all in, not once startled by the onslaught. He was so used to taking memories from others that this little exercise simply saved him the effort. However, her final image was something I'd never seen before. She showed him a picture of us all standing together as a family, shaking their hands as they left peacefully. It was a request.

"Brilliant," he whispered, amazed at her level of talent at such a young age.

"Please?" she asked out loud this time, a slight desperation to her voice that broke my heart. My little one was trying to protect us all.

"Of course I have no desire to harm your loved ones, precious Renesmee." My sweet little girl was taken in by his affectionate voice, but I saw what was in his black heart. Nothing had changed for us yet. He was curious, but not swayed. He then switched his gaze to Jacob, and his expression became one of longing. "I wonder..." he mused as his head filled with pictures of large wolves on chains, jumping at his command to protect them to the death.

_What is with him and chains?_

"It doesn't work that way!" I snapped, unable to keep my anger at bay. These boys were risking everything for us and he thought he could keep them as _pets_?

"Just an errant thought," he said dismissively, his eyes roving hungrily over the entire pack now.

… _What is that bloodsucker thinking? … _

I turned to look into Jake's huge black eyes. "He's intrigued with the idea of … guard dogs." It almost made me sick to say it. A loud echo of snarls broke through the distance before Sam quieted them with a commanding bark.

"I suppose that answers that question," Aro laughed. "_This_ lot has picked its side." _… or we could simply overpower them and take them by force … _

Before I knew it, I was crouched for attack, hissing and snarling in anger at his _errant thoughts_. I was furious at his flippant attitude; he held the lives of everyone I cared about in his hands and he was enjoying himself way too much in my opinion. My actions set off Felix and Demetri, and we were all facing off and snarling loudly until Aro waved them away. I remembered myself and stood back, waiting for his verdict.

"So much to discuss," Aro said thoughtfully. "So much to decide. If you and your furry protector will excuse me, my dear Cullens, I must confer with my brothers." He turned his back to us, and rather than retreat as I had assumed he would do, he held up his hand and summoned the others forward. Now the distance between our groups had just been cut in half.

I grabbed onto Bella and Emmett, pulling them with me as I backed away rapidly. I never took my eyes off the approaching guard, not quite sure if they would change their minds at a moment's notice. Jacob didn't want to move at all, he wanted to stay there and fight, until Renesmee reached out and yanked on his tail, pulling him along as if it were his leash.

When we were back among family, Carlisle hugged me quickly. "That was very brave of you, son." I thanked him, and after filling him in on everything I had heard from their minds it was clear that more questions had been created rather than answered.

… _So what are we waiting for now? … _

"Well, Jake... if their thoughts are anything to go by... we're waiting for them to decide what excuse they are going to use to kill us."

… _Well we're not going down without a fight …_ He nodded his head in the direction of his pack.

"No," I smiled. "No, neither are we."

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OK, don't forget, the second half is coming soon! (Reviews are always much appreciated, however, because if this chapter was absolute crap I'd hate for the second half to be as bad!)

Also, I wanted to say a big thank you to the girls over at www (dot) fictionators (dot) com for including Blood and Lust in the weekly recs last Friday. They wrote up a beautiful review that was in depth and so flattering. Love you guys!!


	20. A New Day

Wow... OK, I'm finally done with this (non)battle! Sorry this took a while, but as you can see, it just became a monster! I'm so glad I split it into two parts.

I can't believe I've finally come to the end of this book. It's only taken me a year! The main story is over now, but I have one final epilogue that I am going to try and get out by next week. It shouldn't be hard to guess what it's going to have in it, and you can probably figure out exactly what scene I saved for the very end. ;-)

**Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, Stephenie Meyer does. However, I DO own a very nasty obsessive addiction to these characters.**

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Listening to Caius's mind work was like nothing I'd ever heard before.

When he approached Aro with the rest of the guard, he was a flaming ball of rage. Once he heard that Aro actually had the nerve to _agree_ with us about Renesmee, he went through the fastest chain of reactions I had ever seen in my life: betrayal, fury, understanding, panic, and finally cunning. All in the blink of an eye.

Aro was leading him somehow, simply from the inflection of his voice. There was no mental communication between them, or I would have heard it. Yet somehow Caius received each new piece of information from him and jumped accordingly, reaching the next step in their little game. It was their own depraved version of Good Cop/Bad Cop. When Aro explained how Renesmee was truthfully part human, he was quick to point out to Caius how many witnesses we had on our side to attest to that fact. This instantly reined in his anger and put him on the defensive; they both knew that they could never appear to be in the wrong if they wished to remain in power.

… _cannot use the immortal child … we must have cause … they must be dealt with … _

The wheels were clearly in motion when he tried to subtly switch the focus from Renesmee to another cause for complaint. He was about as subtle as a battering ram. _Reaching_ would be an understatement when I saw the faces of those among us filter through his mind rapidly, and I swear that I could practically hear 'eenie meenie miny moe' as he scrolled through our collection of friends. Once he landed on the features of a familiar russet colored wolf, he nearly gloated. For surely, he reasoned, consorting with the 'Children of the Moon' was beyond forgivable.

"The werewolves!" he spat, as if he was going to win a prize.

"Ah, brother …" Aro replied, disappointment evident in his tone as well as his thoughts. _Good Cop. _It would seem, or so Aro would have us believe, that Caius had chosen incorrectly.

"Will you defend _that_ alliance, too, Aro?" _Bad Cop._ "They have been our bitter enemies from the dawn of time. We have hunted them to near extinction in Europe and Asia. Yet Carlisle encourages a familiar relationship with this enormous … _infestation_ … no doubt in an attempt to overthrow us! The better to protect his warped lifestyle."

Aside from my own revulsion at his words, I was startled to hear an outbreak of expletives and outraged comments ringing through everyone's minds around me. The wolf pack alone, with their interconnected thoughts, was like eavesdropping on a locker room full of angry footballers. I tried to keep my attention focused on the theatrics in front of us, but some comments were just too amusing to ignore.

… _who the fuck is he calling an infestation? … yeah, I infested his mother last night … come hunt this, mother fucker! … freaky albino leech! … _I couldn't tell who was saying what, they were like one giant mind. One giant _angry_ mind.

… _Ooh, you can bet your ass that _somebody's_ gonna get overthrown! …_ Emmett was visualizing doing exactly that to Caius. With his fists.

… _I'll show you a warped lifestyle, you arrogant prick … _Carlisle?

… _wonder if he'll sound so tough when I rip his balls off and show them to him … _Esme?!

I decided that I'd better jump in before someone from our side acted without thinking."Caius, it's the middle of the day." _Dipshit_. "These are not Children of the Moon, clearly." I pointed to Jake. "They bear no relation to your enemies on the other side of the world."

"You breed mutants here!" he snapped back at me. _… just like your filthy half-breed offspring … _

He had thought _that_ loud and clear, just for my benefit.

_Count to ten... Count to ten. Don't attack him. It will only start a riot and he knows it. _

I stood there silently, clenching and unclenching my jaw before I could trust myself to speak again. "They aren't even _werewolves_," I finally ground out through my teeth. "Aro can tell you all about it if you don't believe me."

"Dear Caius," Aro sighed, an embarrassed tone to his voice now. _Good Cop._ "I would have warned you not to press this point if you had told me your thoughts." He went on to explain that the Quileutes were actually shape-shifters; the form of the wolf was simply coincidental. They carried the ability to change their form genetically, rather than infecting others through biting like true werewolves.

… _what, like the wonder twins? …_ Jesus, Emmett.

"They know our secret," Caius threw out as a last ditch effort, growing weary of playing _Bad Cop_ and wanting something to finally happen.

I was about to happily point out the flaw in his reasoning when Aro beat me to it. "They are creatures of our supernatural world, brother. Perhaps even more dependent upon secrecy than we are; they can hardly expose us. Carefully, Caius. Specious allegations get us nowhere." Although Aro was carefully guarding his thoughts from me, I could tell this was a thinly veiled threat for Caius to stop whining and think clearly.

Caius nodded sharply, less than thrilled with Aro's never-ending need for showmanship. His thoughts ran wild again, angry that he hadn't been able to incite me to action. His thoughts quickly went from me to Kate and Tanya, standing near me looking grief-stricken. At that he straightened abruptly, a new look of purpose on his face.

"I want to talk to the informant." He looked over to Irina, but she was paying no attention to him again. She only had eyes for her doomed family, a matching look of despair on her face.

… _what have I done to my beautiful sisters? … they are facing death today because of me … _

"Irina!" he barked. This was the second time that she had disregarded him, and he was not pleased. Her head jerked up suddenly, her thoughts finally scared for herself. "So you appear to have been quite mistaken in your allegations."

"I'm sorry," Irina whispered. "I should have made sure of what I was seeing. But I had no idea …" She nodded towards Bella and Renesmee.

Aro made to interrupt, claiming that _anybody_ would have made the same assumption, but Caius snapped his fingers and Aro fell silent. _Bad Cop._

"We all know you made a mistake," he continued. "I meant to speak of your motivations." He went on to question her about why she had come to begin with, accusing her of spying on us. When she admitted that she had been angry because we had not allowed her to avenge Laurent's death by attacking the wolf pack, Caius tried another tack. "So the Cullens sided with the _shape-shifters_ against our own kind … against the friend of a friend, even."

"That's how I saw it." The regret in her voice was palpable.

"If you'd like to make a formal complaint against the shape-shifters—and the Cullens for supporting their actions—now would be the time." He waited eagerly, envisioning all the ways he could bring us to justice.

… _I have caused this … I have to end this … _

Irina squared her shoulders with purpose. "No." Caius flinched in surprise, recovering quickly before anyone else noticed his shock at her answer. "I have no complaint against the wolves, or the Cullens. You came here today to destroy an immortal child. No immortal child exists." She looked back and forth between Aro and Caius, praying for understanding. "This was my mistake, and I take full responsibility for it. But the Cullens are innocent, and you have no reason to still be here. I'm so sorry." She then turned to face the witnesses for the Volturi. "There was no crime. There's no valid reason for you to continue here."

There was a loud wave of murmurs from the crowd, both verbally and mentally. I almost lost Caius's thoughts in the shuffle, but by the time I found him again I nearly cried out from the horror of what I saw in his mind a mere hundredths of a second before he made it a reality.

"Bella!" I gasped. "Cover her eyes! I don't want her to see this!" I watched as Bella clutched Renesmee tightly to her chest, whispering soothing words in her ear as she made sure that she couldn't see ahead of us.

Caius raised his hand, lifting an executioner's torch high above his head, passing his judgment in one swift movement. The guard was on her immediately, surrounding her and blocking her from our view.

We could only see a swarm of gray and black robes, but we could hear _everything_.

_Oh God... I can't let her hear this, either!_ "Bella—"

"I know," she replied, as if she were the mind reader. "Renesmee..." she whispered quickly to the small nest of curls that was tucked under her chin. "Sweetie... can you sing a song with momma? C'mon baby, what would you like to sing?" I could see in my daughter's thoughts that she was nervous, but not terrified... yet. Our sudden actions were frightening her more than anything else right now, which I took as a good sign; it was far better than her being completely aware of what was going on in front of us at the moment. When she put her hand up to Bella's cheek I saw familiar animated animals flash in her mind. "Baby, I don't know that one, I'm sorry! Don't you want to sing anything else?" She sounded frantic as she watched our daughter shake her head, not knowing how to distract her now. While she still wasn't big on speaking out loud, Renesmee absolutely _never_ sang without someone else joining in.

"Come here, little one," I heard Emmett murmur over Bella's shoulder. Afraid to take my eyes off our opponents for even a second, I watched through his mind in time to see him scoop her up and cuddle her closely, shielding her with his large arms. Then... he started singing. "Your backyard friends, the Backyardigans..."

Only a moment passed before the tiny, angelic sound of my daughter's voice joined in. "Toooogether in... the backyard again."

"That's my girl," he said, stroking her head and bouncing her lightly as he continued to sing.

"Thank you, Emmett," Bella whispered. He shrugged like it was no big deal, but I think Rose was having trouble focusing on the situation at hand because she was so busy imagining him with a glowing halo over his head. Hell, at the moment... I was, too.

_Yes Emmett, thank you. I couldn't deal with this shit knowing that she might be watching._

My full attention was drawn back to the horrific event that was unfolding before my eyes when the screams grew louder. However, the ripping noises and ungodly screeching were nothing compared to what I could see inside my head. Through the minds of the emotionless guard, I saw the stunned look on Irina's face as her limbs were torn apart. I heard her final dying prayers for forgiveness as her head was pulled from her body. I watched as the light left her eyes forever.

Caius sinuated himself between the guard until he was looking down at Irina's dismembered body. As a final grandiose show of his power he lit the torch, shooting flames at the remains until they ignited, sending sparks flying high above the crowd. The rapidly growing inferno sent the guard running back to their places in line, which finally allowed the others to see what they had been hearing.

The resounding gasp at the sight of the carnage could be heard throughout both sides of witnesses, their minds finding the sudden violence nearly impossible to process. They were so stunned by the rapid execution that nobody had even moved.

As Caius cut the torch, he turned to face us, smiling coldly. "_Now_ she has taken full responsibility for her actions." I saw his true motivation for the violent display in the split second before his eyes landed on the grieving forms of Tanya and Kate.

Everything happened quite quickly after that.

"Stop them!" I shouted, grabbing for Tanya's arm before she could attack Caius. She was wild with rage, kicking and screaming, and if Carlisle hadn't thrown his arms around her waist we never would have restrained her.

"It's too late to help her!" Carlisle cautioned. "Don't give him what he wants!" And that was _exactly_ what he wanted. Caius knew that by inciting these sisters to lash out against him, it would start a riot that would not be finished until we were.

Rose reached out to grab Kate around the neck, but was zapped so hard by her in the process that it knocked her to the ground. Emmett quickly handed Renesmee back off to Bella and shot over to them, managing to drag her to the ground before being shocked so badly that his knees finally buckled and gave out. Kate then sprang back to her feet, murder the only coherent thought in her mind, when Garrett flung himself at her and knocked her back down, holding her tightly through every shock she gave him.

Nothing was working. Both of the sisters were unreachable, and poor Garrett was going to black out before long if something didn't stop Kate from shocking him. I knew I needed to convince them to stop, but they were completely blinded by their need for vengeance.

_Blinded … That's it! _

"Zafrina!" I called out. She knew what I wanted and acted instantly. Both of their eyes went blank and Tanya immediately stopped struggling against us. Kate began moaning loudly, but she was still thrashing blindly in Garrett's arms.

"Give me my sight back!" Kate screeched.

Suddenly I felt that odd, yet familiar, tingling sensation again as it moved across my skin. When I focused on it closer I was surprised to realize that it had actually been in place for a while now, but it was simply shifting around me. _Why can't I remember where I felt that before? _It was different now... stronger.

I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard Kate's mind quickly turn from outrage to disbelief. I looked over to see Garrett holding her down easily now without any difficulty. This would have been reassuring if Kate had actually _stopped_ trying to shock him.

_What the hell?_

I could see that Aro was thinking the exact same thing. He knew what she was capable of, the type of pain that she could inflict. He was wondering to himself if Garrett had somehow learned a new defensive gift that he'd never seen before. Something was there that I was missing. I felt just as clueless as Aro and Kate, but I was extremely frustrated on top of it because I knew that I _should_ know. All of my instincts were telling me to dig deeper, that there was something staring me right in the face, but I didn't have the time to focus on it right now.

While Aro was busy looking perplexed, Caius was thoroughly pissed. He couldn't believe that his actions had backfired again. He had been so sure that his little performance was going to start the riot he wanted, and now he was left facing over forty witnesses on his side alone without a valid reason for Irina's execution. Aro briefly realized this fact too, and for the first time in his long life he felt regret at his need for an audience.

The Romanians were thrilled at his discomfort.

"Irina has been punished for bearing false witness against this child," Aro announced, as if it had always been the reason and not something he had only then decided. I watched as his mind quickly backpedaled, searching for the best route to take that would give us just the right incentive to attack. When his eyes landed on my daughter and his plan formed, I thought I was going to be sick. "Just to be thorough, I'd like to speak with a few of your witnesses. Procedure, you know."

He was going to use my family's love of my daughter to force their hand. He intended to prove that she was a liability, knowing full well that we would not just sit back and allow anything to happen to her without a fight.

I couldn't keep my growl inside as he called his first witness, calling on Amun from the Egyptian coven as the weakest link in our chain. Amun had made no bones about the fact that he was uncomfortable standing against the Volturi and wouldn't hesitate to jump ship if a fight were to break out. However, he was a fair witness, and answered all of his questions truthfully. He attested that Renesmee was mine, that she grew rapidly, and that she learned even faster still.

"And do you believe that she should be allowed to live?"Aro smiled, and I wanted to smash it off his face.

Bella's hiss rang out beside me, echoed by many others as the realization of what he wanted sank in. I moved back a step to reach her better, wrapping my hand around her wrist in an attempt to hold her back. I needed her to stay calm, regardless of how badly I wanted to join in any murderous fantasies she might have been having at that moment.

When Amun failed to provide Aro with the answer he wanted to hear, he was dismissed and quickly replaced by Siobhan from the Irish coven. She answered his questions the same, even going further by adding that she felt Renesmee posed absolutely no threat of exposure to us since she blended in even better with humans than we do.

Aro appeared to pace casually as he mulled over what he'd been told, but I could tell that he was slowly inching closer to the protection of his guard. He was hiding his thoughts from me again, but if he felt that he needed protection, it was clear that he still intended to pass a judgment that he had already made.

"She is unique… utterly, impossibly unique. Such a waste it would be, to destroy something so lovely. Especially when we could learn so much…" He sighed deeply, feigning reluctance to continue. "But there _is_ danger, danger that cannot simply be ignored." He went on to ramble about humans and science and mythology, but no one on our side was listening anymore. Their thoughts had all turned to anger, knowing now exactly what he was trying to do.

"This amazing child... if we could but know her potential… know with _absolute certainty_ that she could always remain shrouded within the obscurity that protects us. But we know nothing of what she will become! Her own parents are plagued by fears of her future. We _cannot_ know what she will grow to be." He looked sadly between both groups of witnesses, acting for the world as if his next words pained him greatly. "Only the known is safe. Only the known is tolerable. The unknown is... a vulnerability."

The disgustingly pleased smile that spread across Caius's face was enough to make my vision turn a violent shad of red. The smug bastard was _enjoying_ this.

"You're reaching Aro," Carlisle called out. _… you self-righteous, sanctimonious prick! … _He finished that last bit in his mind, but I was inclined to agree with him on both counts.

"Peace, friend. Let us not be hasty. Let us look at this from every side." He spoke the words, but he meant none of them. He had already chosen his side.

"May I offer a side to be considered?" Garrett stepped forward, surprising everyone.

"Nomad," Aro replied, nodding his permission quite magnanimously. I tried not to roll my eyes.

What happened next blew me away. Garrett proceeded to deliver the most honest, eloquent, heartfelt speech I had ever heard. Rather than addressing the Volturi, he turned instead to their group of so-called witnesses, laying everything on the line and calling upon them to stand up against them if it came to a fight. He reasoned that if things did not go their way today, the Volturi would never allow them to live and spread the word of their defeat.

"I came to witness. I stay to fight. The Volturi care nothing for the death of the child. They seek the death of our free will." He turned then to finally face the vampires in question. "So come I say! Let's hear no more lying rationalizations. Be honest in your intents as we will be honest in ours. We will defend our freedom. You will or will not attack it. Choose now, and let these witnesses see the true issue debated here."

When Garrett was finished he returned to stand at Kate's side, already crouching in preparation for their attack. Kate regarded him with a look of wonder on her face, remembering herself after a moment and lowering down to crouch beside him. I felt such admiration for him at that moment that I wished we were human so I could buy him a beer.

Aro turned then to the witnesses, asking their thoughts. The few who were bold enough to answer only agreed with Garrett; we were innocent. Shortly thereafter, many could be seen sneaking away, hoping to escape the guard's notice.

"We are outnumbered, dearest ones," Aro said, turning back to face the guard. "We can expect no outside help. Should we leave this question undecided to save ourselves?"

"No master." They sounded like a collection of programmed robots. A part of me knew that wasn't far from the truth.

"Is the protection of our world worth perhaps the loss of some of our number?"

"Yes. We are not afraid." Of course they weren't afraid. They weren't programmed to be.

"Brothers," Aro said, facing Caius and Marcus now, "there is much to consider here."

"Let us counsel," Caius jumped, eager to pretend to deliberate.

"Let us counsel," Marcus parroted, not even appearing to have heard the question. _Wow... way to put some effort in, Marcus. Are we disturbing you? We are only talking about our lives, here. _

They turned their backs to us then, huddling together and holding hands, pretending as if they were actually debating. It would have been almost comical if the life of my child weren't on the line.

Just then, I felt movement at my side and noticed that Bella was talking to our daughter. "You remember what I told you?"

Pictures of her and Jacob flashed in her mind, followed by images of her waving goodbye to us. "I love you," she whispered to Bella, large tears welling up in her eyes. They had my full attention now. Jacob had also sensed something was wrong and had turned to watch them.

"I love you, too," Bella replied softly, reaching out to touch her tiny locket. "More than my own life." She gently kissed her forehead and walked over to a now whining Jacob. "Wait until they're totally distracted, then run with her. Get as far from this place as you possibly can. When you've gone as far as you can on foot, she has what you need to get you in the air." She patted the small black bag that Renesmee wore on her back.

_Dear God, no! Please no! _

My beautiful baby daughter was going to have to face this world without us, running from place to place like a common criminal. Hunted like an animal, with nobody she knew by her side other than Jacob.

… _Daddy! … _

I snapped out of my horrific thoughts to find Renesmee reaching for me, a panicked look in her eye. I grabbed her and held her tightly, hugging her to me with a sob stuck in my throat. "This is what you kept from me?" I whispered over her small head to Bella, who looked as miserable as I felt.

"From Aro."

_This is what I was not supposed to know about? So that Aro wouldn't be able to read it in my thoughts? How would she know that it needed to be kept from me? Unless... _

"Alice?" When she nodded, I knew there was no hope for us. Whatever Alice had seen that day that felt so long ago now, it did not have a happy ending for us. If Bella had so many things in order, this would be the last time our daughter saw us alive.

The only hope I had left now was that Renesmee would one day be able to find some peace. Alice had given her that chance by whatever message she had left for Bella to find. Our passionate love story was coming to an end, but our child would live on. _Thank you, Alice. _

Somehow I found the power to speak to my daughter then, swallowing at the lump in my throat until I could whisper to her. "I love you, baby girl." I hugged her as tight as I dared, praying that she could feel the truth in my words.

She grasped me tightly around the neck, sending back images to me of our few short, happy months together. I saw the first time I held her in my arms, the first time I sang to her, the many nights I had read her to sleep. She showed me memories that made her feel loved and treasured.

And then, in a tiny breath against my neck, I heard her say, "Love you, Daddy."

I kissed her gently on her forehead and both rosy cheeks, using everything in my power to let her go. I lifted her up onto Jacob's back, waiting while she hopped on and pulled herself into place by his fur like an expert. Jacob growled low in his chest the entire time, not pleased at all with what this all meant.

"You're the only one we could ever trust her with," Bella told him. "If you didn't love her so much, I could never bear this. I know you can protect her, Jacob."

An enormous tear slid down his furry cheek and his mind was filled with images from over the last few months. He loved Bella and was going to miss her terribly, but mostly because she had become more of a sister to him lately than his own had ever been.

Then he turned his huge dark eyes on me.

… _I'm gonna miss you, too, you big jerk …_

I leaned my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes. _Oh God! Why do I actually hurt inside? _I wished that I had realized before now just how much Jacob had come to mean to me and my family. I had only focused on the negatives since Renesmee was born, when in all actuality we had formed our own bond over our fear for Bella's life when she was pregnant. We understood each other. Also... besides me, there was absolutely no one else on the face of this earth that could even come close to loving my family as much as they deserved like Jake.

_I've had a friend this whole time and never knew it._

"Goodbye, Jacob... my brother." I looked up at my daughter perched on his shoulders as if she belonged there. "My son," I whispered, not knowing what possessed me to add it, yet I could feel the truth in my words as soon as they left my lips.

"Is there no hope, then?" Carlisle asked quietly. He sounded calm and determined, but sad.

"There is _absolutely_ hope," Bella answered. "I only know my own fate." I reached out and took her hand, reminding her that _her_ fate was and would always be _our_ fate.

Regardless of Bella's feigned optimism, everyone around us knew that the time for goodbyes had come.

Esme touched us lovingly as she took her place beside Carlisle. Emmett grabbed Rosalie and kissed her passionately as she murmured _I love you_ over and over in her mind. Garrett and Kate were even exchanging kind words and making plans for a fictional future.

Through all of this I felt that familiar tingling growing stronger along my skin. I felt as if it were right on the tip of my tongue... I could almost put my finger on it... but right as the thought started to form in my mind, I was pulled out of my musings by someone from the Volturi guard.

_Chelsea_. She was starting already, without any announcement or decree. I could see her searching among us, starting at our flanks, looking for the strongest bonds to attack. She searched... and searched... and on the third try she began to wonder if she was losing her power.

I leaned in closer to Bella. "Chelsea is trying to break our bindings," I whispered. "But she can't find them. She can't feel us here..." _Oh my God, of course! How had I been so blind?_ I finally knew. I knew it deep in my heart. I knew without needing to ask, but I did it anyway just to hear her say it. "Bella... are _you_ doing that?"

She turned slowly to face me, a secret smile playing at her lips. "Oh, I am _all_ over this." And she was. Literally. If she was protecting our friends at the far end of the line, then she was projecting her shield farther than I had ever thought possible. I was amazed at how well she was doing, but I had no idea how long she could hold it.

… _Pain … _

"Carlisle!" I lunged at him the moment I heard her intentions, hoping to be able to catch him when he fell. When he made no sign of discomfort, I was dumbstruck. "Are you all right?!" I gasped.

"Yes. Why?"

_He couldn't feel her?_ "Jane." It was all I needed to say. Then, as if daring to speak her name had opened some sort of floodgate, she shot out another wave towards us.

… _Pain! … _

This time she aimed for a dozen of us at once. I braced myself against the coming onslaught, but just as before with Carlisle, there was nothing.

… _What the? … PAIN! … _

"Incredible," I said, now in complete awe of my wife and her control.

Jane's face was furious, disbelief etched on her features. She could not fathom how we were still standing. I couldn't resist looking through her eyes at the sight before her: all of us lined up like sitting ducks, and she couldn't do a thing about it. I saw Bella at the center of it all, and I'll be damned if she didn't break out in the most smug, self-satisfied smile I had ever seen in my life, as if to say _Bring it, bitch!_

I felt as if I could burst with pride. _That's my girl! _

Jane narrowed her eyes and focused all of her energy on Bella. _… Let's see you dodge this, you filthy freak breeder … _She threw everything that she had at her, but Bella's smile only grew wider.

… _NO! … NO! NO! NO! … This is absolutely impossible! … _Jane let out a bloodcurdling screech that made everyone, even the guard, jump at the sound. The little princess had never been defeated before, and she was turning out to be a very sore loser. She crouched down low, ready to spring at us, when her twin brother Alec caught her arm and pulled her into his side, patting her on the shoulder like a cranky baby.

Taking the reins from his demonic sister, Alec faced our group and simply stared, almost vacantly. After a few moments I could see it; the nearly transparent mist that he sent towards us was creeping along the ground.

"Is Alec trying?" Bella whispered.

I nodded at her guess, then offered a bit more explanation. "His gift is slower than Jane's. It creeps. It will touch us in a few seconds." We all watched with wide eyes as the mist got closer and closer. Right at the moment when we expected to be ripped from our senses, the mist seemed to hit an invisible wall. It moved and shifted, ghosting up and around us, looking for any possible point of entry. There was none to be found.

"Well done, Bella!" someone called out from our group. A quick look at her face showed that she was just as amazed as we were that she had been able to hold them off.

"Edward," she whispered to me, "I'm going to have to concentrate. When it comes to hand to hand, it's going to be harder to keep the shield around the right people."

"I'll keep them off you." As if I could let her go unprotected.

"No. You _have_ to get to Demetri. Zafrina will keep them away from me." She was right, of course. Ridding the world of Demetri would be the only way to give our daughter a fighting chance. Otherwise he would track her immediately, and then everything we had fought for would be for nothing. But I hated the thought of not guarding Bella, even at a time like this.

Zafrina could see the panic in my eyes. "No one will touch this young one," she promised me. I would have to take her at her word.

Everyone around us started calling dibs on different members of the guard; some for personal reasons, while others were purely for sport. I only knew that I was going for Demetri's throat first, and then as many others as I could take down before my death caught up with me.

"Before we vote," Aro called out, almost forgotten in the recent display. "Let me remind you, whatever the council's decision, there need be no violence here."

_Ha! Oh wouldn't you just love that. We'll just sit back and let you kill us all without a word of complaint._ I couldn't keep my incredulous laugh to myself.

He looked me straight in the eye before speaking again. "It will be a regrettable waste to our kind to lose any of you. But you especially, young Edward, and your newborn mate. The Volturi would be glad to welcome many of you into our ranks. There are many choices before you. Consider them."

I had seen exactly what choices were before us in his mind. Death would be preferable for any of us than to live out eternity as his brainwashed pets.

When none of us cracked even the slightest bit, despite Chelsea's continued attempts to weaken our resolve, Aro finally said the words we'd been waiting for. "Let us vote, then."

Caius jumped to be heard first, as if we didn't already know what he would say. "The child is an unknown quantity. There is no reason to allow such a risk to exist. It must be destroyed, along with all who protect it." _Yep... big surprise there._

Marcus, on the other hand, who simply couldn't be bothered to even _pretend_ to give a shit about us, also didn't give a shit about such a fake threat. "I see no immediate danger. The child is safe enough for now. We can always reevaluate later. Let us leave in peace." He sounded as if merely speaking had been too much effort.

"I must make the deciding vote, it seems," Aro gloated.

Suddenly I was seeing vivid images coming at me rapidly. Running... running... someone was running towards us through the forest. They were bright, vibrant images that were quickly shifting, moving from the present to the past in the blink of an eye. I saw a jungle... I saw many native people questioned... I felt the inner triumph of the vision's owner as they found what it was they were searching for. Quickly the vision shifted from the past to the future. I saw Aro, standing powerless with nothing left to argue.

These weren't images I was simply picking up on. These were being _sent_ to me. I only knew one person who could send me visions from the future. And then I heard her.

… _Edward! … Stall them! … We are almost there! … I have found another! … _

"Yes!" I hissed, unable to hide my joy and relief. Alice had not forsaken us, after all.

I felt absolutely triumphant. We were actually going to live. I knew there was no way Aro could argue against what I had just seen, and the knowledge made me feel almost giddy.

"Oh... Aro?" I called out, not even trying to curb the cockiness I felt.

"Yes, Edward?" He looked confused. And worried. "You have something further?"

"Perhaps," I toyed with him. "First, if I could clarify one point?"

"Certainly."

"The danger you foresee from my daughter—this stems entirely from our inability to guess how she will develop? That is the crux of the matter?"

"Yes, friend Edward. If we could but be positive... be _sure_ that, as she grows, she will be able to stay concealed from the human world... not endanger the safety of our obscurity." He shrugged.

"So, if we could only know for sure exactly what she will become... then there would be no need for a council at all?" _C'mon, you asshole. Say it so that I can make you eat your words._

"If there was some way to be _absolutely_ sure," he agreed, his features beginning to show the strain of his frustration. "Then yes, there would be no question to debate."

"And we would part in peace, good _friends_ once again?" I was goading him now, throwing his own terms back in his face. He didn't like how confident I sounded.

"Of _course_, my young friend. Nothing would please me more." There went my bullshit detector again. I could think of many things that would please him more... namely my head on a stick, right about now.

"Then I _do_ have something more to offer," I laughed. I knew my laughter was only pissing him off more, but the notion only made me laugh that much harder.

"She is absolutely unique," Aro hissed. "Her future can only be guessed at."

"Not _absolutely_ unique," I shook my head. "Rare, certainly, but not one of a kind." Just then I heard Jane make another desperate attempt to hurt Bella. Completely futile, of course. In my most courteous voice, I called her on it. "Aro, would you ask Jane to stop attacking my wife? I mean, we _are_ still discussing evidence."

"Peace, dear ones. Let us hear him out." He was embarrassed, not expecting to be criticized in front of this many witnesses. And Jane... Jane had reached an entirely new level of rage. One that didn't improve when Bella flashed her another evil grin. _God, I love that woman._

"Why don't you join us... Alice?" I called out loudly, knowing that she was only seconds away. There was a resounding gasp and many people whispering her name at once. Everyone's attention was focused on the southwest entrance to the clearing as a tiny dark haired pixie practically danced through the treeline, Jasper right on her heels. They were followed closely by three more people, one of whom I knew to be Kachiri from the Amazon. The other two were who we had been waiting for.

One of them was a small olive-toned female vampire, and the other was a dark young man who appeared to be about seventeen. Oh, and he had a heartbeat.

I waited until she was beside me before I continued. "Alice has been searching for her own witnesses these last weeks. And she does not come back empty-handed. Alice, why don't you introduce the witnesses you've brought?'

She stepped forward and gestured to the two newcomers. "This is Huilen and her nephew, Nahuel." A loud hiss rang out through the guard. Too many new ideas were being forced upon them today, and they feared change.

"Speak, Huilen," Aro barked. "Give us the witness you were brought to bear."

The small woman began to tell a tale in broken English that shocked everyone to their core. She spoke of how she once had a sister named Pire, and Pire had loved an immortal. She had given herself to this man, her 'dark angel', and horrified her entire family when she announced that she was carrying his child. Knowing that they would all want to kill the baby that grew inside her, and her along with it, she fled with her sister into the forest. When the baby was finally born, he ripped his mother apart from the inside out. As she lay dying, she asked her sister Huilen to watch after her baby as if he were her own, giving him the name Nahuel. In Huilen's attempt to care for the child, she was bitten, and awoke days later to find herself transformed into a full vampire, her small nephew waiting by her side.

"I cared for him until he was able to hunt for himself. We hunted the villages around our forest, staying to ourselves. We have never come so far from our home, but Nahuel wished to see the child here." She nodded towards Renesmee. When she finished, she stepped back in line beside Alice and Kachiri.

Aro turned his attention to Nahuel. "You are one hundred and fifty years old?" he asked.

"Give or take a decade," the beautiful young man answered. "We don't exactly keep track."

"And you reached maturity at what age?"

"About seven years after my birth, more or less. I was full grown."

"You have not changed since then?"

"Not that I've noticed," Nahuel shrugged. Jake was shuddering at all of the new information to process.

… _Only seven years? … Nessie will be full grown in seven years and then live forever? … _

Aro grilled him further about his lifestyle, his choice of diet, and then focused on the fact that he had bitten his aunt and turned her. "You were able to create an immortal?"

"Yes, but none of the rest can."

"The _rest_?" Aro was completely startled.

"My sisters." _Sisters?_

Aro blinked rapidly a few times, absorbing this bit of information before continuing. "Perhaps you would tell us the rest of your story, for there seems to be more."

Nahuel went on to speak of his father, a vampire named Joham, who had finally come looking for him many years after his birth. This man considered himself something of a scientist, and had been breeding what he called a new 'super-race' by impregnating many different human women. He toyed with these women, caring nothing for them, and once they were pregnant he didn't return until the hard work was done, the women were dead from childbirth, and the babies remained. Before Nahuel, he had fathered two daughters, and had fathered another girl many years later. All three of his sisters lived with his father now, and he had been expected to join the family as well, being the only male child and also the only one to be venomous. However, Nahuel had wanted nothing to do with him; he was perfectly happy to remain with his aunt who had cared for him since birth.

Thinking that he'd found a new point to argue, Caius looked at Bella. "Your daughter... is she venomous?" He demanded.

"No," she replied. Nahuel's head turned sharply towards Bella when he heard her response.

… _she lives? … _

Caius urged Aro, "We take care of the aberration here, and then follow it south."

But Aro would not answer him. Something made him stop and look at Bella. As he stared into her eyes, he knew that he would never win against her like this. Her shield was simply too strong, and he had no justifiable reason to have her killed outright. Only one constant feeling was going through his mind when he finally turned back to Caius: Defeat.

"Brother," he whispered. "There appears to be no danger. This is an unusual development, but I see no threat. These half-vampire children are much like us, it appears."

"Is that your vote?" Caius snapped at him.

"It is." Aro spun around and called out to the guard. "Dear ones... we do not fight today." The formation immediately broke into groups, turning to march back through the trees where they had entered. The witnesses all scattered to the wind, and even Marcus and Caius had left Aro on his own.

He stood there in the clearing alone now, his hands held out in apology. "I'm so glad this could be resolved without violence." His voice was laced with saccharine. "My friend, Carlisle—how pleased I am to call you friend again! I hope there are no hard feelings. I know you understand the strict burden that our duty places on our shoulders."

"Leave in peace, Aro," Carlisle gritted through his teeth.

"Of course, Carlisle. I am sorry to earn your disapproval, my dear friend. Perhaps, in time, you will forgive me."

"Perhaps, in time, if you prove a friend to us again." The betrayal that Carlisle felt was evident in his voice.

Aro bowed his head and drifted away, disappearing through the trees.

We had done it. We had stood our ground and lived to fight another day.

"Edward... is it really over?" Bella whispered to me hesitantly.

"Yes," I smiled so wide that it nearly hurt. "They've given up. Like all bullies, they're cowards underneath the swagger."

"Seriously, people," Alice laughed, "They're not coming back. Everybody can relax now!"

After a long moment of silence, deafening cheers erupted. Everyone hugged each other and couples kissed. Esme hugged Jasper and Alice tightly while Carlisle made the rounds, giving thanks to the friends who had been brave enough to stand beside us. The Romanians were pissed that they didn't get their war and immediately made their way out of the clearing without one more word.

Bella was scrambling up Jacob's body to rip our daughter off his back. The very moment she got ahold of her, I was already behind her and pulling them both into my arms. I crushed them to my chest, showering them both with kisses when my words failed me. I almost felt faint from the overwhelming rush of relief.

"Nessie, Nessie, Nessie," Bella sang to her over and over again, telling Jacob to shut up when he teased her for using the nickname she had always hated.

"I get to stay with you?" our daughter's tiny voice rang out. I looked down to see two huge tears of happiness spill over her rosy cheeks.

"Forever!" Bella cried. And it was the truth. Thanks to Alice finding Nahuel, we now knew that her rapid aging would soon slow down, leaving her as unchanging as an immortal for the rest of her life, which could last for many centuries to come.

I leaned down and brought my lips to Bella's ear. "Forever," I repeated. We would have our forever. She was so full of emotion that she couldn't speak anymore. Instead, she stretched up on her toes and lifted her head, kissing me with every drop of joy that was overflowing from her body.

There we stood, our little girl squeezed between us, kissing deeply and passionately in the middle of what was fast becoming a rowdy celebration.

We didn't hear a single noise other than the beating of our daughter's heart.

In that moment, we were the only three people that existed in the whole wide world.

We only existed to love each other.

And we would love each other _forever_.

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Whew! Was that as exhausting to read as it was to write? Even so, I hope it was at least entertaining. I also hope that I did an OK job with the EPOV of this very long & involved scene. Please let me know what you thought and what your favorite parts were.

Don't forget, there is still a fun-time yummy epilogue on the way!

Now, I wanted to throw out one more rec for you guys to check out. This is actually an AU/AH fic, but it's written by a good friend of mine, it's her first fic ever, and it's really good!

**"The Ride" by aylah50**. This is a great story to read if you're like me and grew up as a teen in the early 90s and can remember with fond memories the days of grunge. Remember Jordan Catalano? Well Grungeward does! ;-)

This has a great Bella and Edward, and even though only one chapter is up so far, I can tell you that the next few are even better. (because I'm lucky enough to beta for her & get a sneak peek) If you enjoy AH stories, do yourself a favor and check this one out. If you like it, leave her a little bit of love and tell her I sent you!


	21. Epilogue: Possession

I'm leaving the notes for the ending. I'll be over here crying in the corner while you finish this. *sniff, sniff*

See you at the end!

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns them, and she has finally hunted me down and taken them back. I'll miss you, Edward!**

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_Listen as the wind blows_

_From across the great divide_

_Voices trapped in yearning_

_Memories trapped in time_

_The night is my companion_

_And solitude my guide_

_Would I spend forever here_

_And not be satisfied_

_And I would be the one_

_To hold you down_

_Kiss you so hard_

_I'll take your breath away_

_And after I'd wipe away your tears_

_Just close your eyes dear_

"_Possession" ~ Sarah McLachlan_

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"So it was a combination of things there at the end, but what it really boiled down to was... Bella." I couldn't stop beaming with pride as I looked at my wife.

I was sitting in the middle of our family back at the house, catching everyone up to speed with what had _really_ been going on in the minds of the Volturi. I was camped out on the couch, surrounded by the most important women in my life; Bella was to my left, tucked into my side while Renesmee slept in her lap, and Alice was tucked into my right, listening intently to all that she had missed. I didn't ever want to let them go.

All of the superfluous vampires that had taken root in our home recently had made a quick exit the moment we returned. We were left now only with Huilen and Nahuel, who had surprisingly chosen to stay behind and get to know us all better. Carlisle was thrilled, as this gave him more time to study them.

I continued on. "Alice gave Aro the excuse he needed to get out of the fight. If he hadn't been so terrified of Bella, he probably would have gone ahead with their original plan."

"Terrified? Of _me_?" It amazed me that even now she didn't fully realize her own power.

"When will you ever see yourself clearly?" I whispered to her. I turned back to the rest of the room. "The Volturi haven't fought a fair fight in about twenty-five hundred years. And they've never, _never_ fought one where they were at a disadvantage. Especially since they gained Jane and Alec, they've only been involved with unopposed slaughterings." I couldn't help laughing then, recalling out loud their appalled expressions and thoughts when they realized that we were going to give them as good as we got.

"Hard to feel confident when you're surrounded by horse-sized wolves," Emmett joked. Jacob smiled widely and sat a bit taller. This started a discussion about the differences between the real Children of the Moon and shape-shifters, and how greatly we benefited from the pack's regimented control.

"So there are _real_ werewolves?" Bella asked me. "With the full moon and silver bullets and all that?"

"_Real_? Does that make me imaginary?" Jacob teased.

"You know what I mean," she waved him off. I couldn't get over just how wonderful it felt to be there at that moment in time. In my family's home once again, listening to lighthearted banter that I thought would be lost forever.

"Full moon, yes. Silver bullets, no—that was just another one of those myths to make humans feel like they had a sporting chance. There aren't very many of them left. Caius has had them hunted into near extinction."

"And you never mentioned this because...?"

"It never came up," I said simply. She rolled her eyes in frustration at me, and Alice leaned forward to wink at her and giggle. Suddenly Bella was glaring back at her, which caused Alice to stiffen against me.

… _oh boy, here we go …_ "Just get it off your chest, Bella," she sighed, and I felt her brace herself further against the coming attack.

"How could you _do_ that to me, Alice?" she tried to shout, but I could tell that her heart wasn't in it. She was angry, but her anger was outweighed by her relief.

"It was necessary." _… don't let her hit me, Edward … she's really pissed off … I can't tell what she's going to do with Jacob here … _I patted her shoulder quickly for comfort, letting her know that it would be alright.

"Necessary!" That put her heart in it. "You had me totally convinced that we were all going to die! I've been a wreck for weeks!" I knew exactly how she felt, but I wasn't about to point out the fact that _she_ had done the same thing to me with her odd behavior. They argued it out while leaning over me, forgetting I was even there.

Alice explained that the deception was necessary for many reasons, Bella's poor ability to lie being at the top of the list. "Aro had to believe that you had nothing left up your sleeves or he never would have committed to an out the way he did. And if you think I didn't feel like a schmuck—"

"Okay, okay! Sorry! I know it was rough for you, too. It's just that... well, I missed you like crazy, Alice. Don't do that to me again!"

"I missed you, too, Bella," Alice laughed. "So forgive me, and try to be satisfied with being the superhero of the day." Bella ducked her head down into Nessie's hair, clearly embarrassed at the praise. I hugged them both closer to me, thrilled that they had sorted it out so quickly.

I couldn't stop myself from going on, dissecting every single event that had happened on the field. It all came down to Bella. She was the sole reason we were still alive. Her shield had sent them running away with their tails between their legs. I also couldn't help feeling a little bit in awe of her then, but as I looked around the room I saw that I wasn't the only one. Everyone had stars in their eyes for my Bella.

This little wisp of a girl who had haunted me one day in biology class barely two years ago had somehow become the savior of my entire family... and of my soul. I no longer believed that I was damned, for even if we had lost the battle and been executed, I had no doubt that we would have left this world together. There was no realm of existence that could keep us apart now, so how could I be damned? As long as we were together, it would be paradise.

… _look at how he watches her … such love in his eyes … my father knew nothing of love … _

I slowly took in the face of Nahuel, who couldn't take his eyes off of us. His gaze flickered over each of us briefly, but repeatedly came back to settle on Bella.

… _she lives … she survived … this man loved her enough to save her … my mother could have lived past my birth … if only he'd cared … my birth didn't have to bring her death … we could have been a family like this … _

My heart went out to him. I couldn't imagine living your entire life hating yourself for your very birth. Sure, I had dealt with my own share of self-loathing through the years, but it had mostly been driven by loneliness and fear. I'd been facing a cold, dark eternity with no reason for living by my side. That had changed. I now had a wife and a daughter, and they were the most precious reasons I could have ever imagined.

Looking back at Bella, I was struck with a powerful urge to hold her again. I wanted to be alone with her, to soak in the relief that this long day had finally provided. I wondered in the back of my mind if I would ever get used to the painful need that she caused in me; if I would ever grow accustomed to the physical ache that I felt whenever we'd been apart for too long. It seemed as if every new day I needed her more desperately, body and soul.

As if on cue, Bella turned to me. "Should we take Nessie..."

"That's probably a good idea," I interrupted, already standing to leave.

Jacob said his goodbyes first, kissing both Nessie and Bella on the top of their heads and punching me in the arm. "See you guys tomorrow. I guess things are going to be kind of boring now, aren't they?"

"I fervently hope so," I replied. _I couldn't wish for anything better._

We made the rounds of hugs and kisses, wishing everyone a good night as we made our way out the door. Hell, I even hugged Rose. As soon as we had crossed the river into the forest, our pace slowed and we linked hands again, swinging them between us. As long as we were together, we were done being in a hurry.

On our way back to the cottage, Bella brought up Nahuel and how his staring had made her uncomfortable. She had thought he was only staring at Nessie, worried that he might cause a problem down the road because she was the only other female in the world like him that he wasn't related to. While I couldn't say that the thought hadn't entered his mind, I was happy to tell her that his main focus had been on her, and what a loving mother she was. We talked about everything that I had heard from him, and I could see Bella soften towards him as soon as I explained that he saw us as what his family should have been.

"Poor Nahuel," she whispered.

"Don't be sad for him. He's happy now. Today, he's finally begun to forgive himself." He would no longer shoulder the blame for his mother's death. I hoped that his realization would allow him to finally start living rather than hiding out in the jungle, his aunt his only companion.

When we reached the cottage, we carried Nessie directly to her bed. As soon as she was tucked in to the gigantic pink nightmare, we turned towards our own room. I watched as Bella ripped the gaudy diamond from around her neck, tossing it over her shoulder as we walked out the door. She didn't even care where it landed, leaving it for Nessie to find and play with at a later date.

When we were standing in our room at last, I wasted no time turning to her. "A night for celebrations," I whispered, lifting her lips to mine.

"Wait," she stopped me, pulling away.

_Wait? Who are you and what have you done with Bella?_

She smiled at the confused look on my face. "I want to try something."

Reaching forward, she lifted both hands until they were holding each side of my face. I watched as she closed her eyes tightly, apparently deep in concentration. I almost asked her what she was doing when I heard it.

… _c'mon, c'mon … why can't I get this to work? …_

"Bella!" I gasped.

Knowing that whatever she was doing had worked, Bella redoubled her efforts. Suddenly my mind was filled with memories that were very familiar, but not my own.

I saw hazy images from her human life: my face from across the cafeteria on her first day of school. _Why did it look so angelic? Is that really how she saw me? … _the two of us laying together in the meadow as I held her. I could actually _feel_ how her skin tingled underneath when I touched it … the sound of my voice as I pulled her back from the fiery pain of James's bite. _Why does it sound like I'm singing? I don't sound like that, do I?_ …my cold hands on her body as I touched her intimately for the first time … my face glowing with pride as I waited for her at the altar … the island … the feathers … the way my hard body felt as it penetrated hers, the burning sting followed by bliss. _Oh God!_ … my cold hands again, only now they were touching our baby as she moved inside her belly …

And then the memories sharpened considerably: my face again when she opened her eyes after the transformation. _Christ, it was even MORE angelic now!_ … the first kiss we shared only moments after, forgetting ourselves in front of everyone. _She thinks I taste like Heaven?_ … later that night at the cottage, my hands roaming everywhere as we fell to the floor in a frenzy. _Oh, yesss_ … the waves of arousal that flooded her senses that night. _Oh God, I need her!_ …

I couldn't control myself. I pulled her to me, kissing her almost fiercely with all of the emotion that was overflowing inside me.

Bella gasped at the contact and the visions went dark again. _No!_

"Oops, I lost it!" she sighed.

"I _heard_ you!" I whispered. "How? How did you do that?"

"Zafrina's idea. We practiced with it a few times."

I felt so dazed that I shook my head. I felt high on her all over again. I no longer had her scent that used to drive me mad, but now it appeared that I had found a new drug. Finally hearing Bella only made me want to hear her more.

"Now you know," she said softly. "No one's ever loved anyone as much as I love you."

"You're almost right," I smiled broadly, still feeling high from her gift to me. "I know of just one exception."

"Liar," she teased.

I kissed her again, but now it felt as if something was missing. "Can you do it again?" I felt like a greedy child asking for seconds of dessert.

"It's very difficult," she winced. I didn't care. I wanted... _needed_ more. I stared at her eagerly, waiting impatiently for my fix. "I can't keep it up if I'm even the slightest bit distracted," she warned.

"I'll be good," I promised. _At least, I'll try._

Her hands returned to my face, and after only a second the memories began again, right where she had left off: ripped clothing … torrid kisses … broken furniture … my face staring down at her with a mixture of love and need as I thrust into her welcoming body. _Yes_ … her gaze looking up at me as she worshiped me with her mouth. _God, yes!_ … the feeling of my teeth piercing her flesh as I bit down on her throat. _Fuck!_ …

I was kissing her again before I knew it, more roughly than the last time. Her mind went blank once more and my body screamed in protest. I was already as hard as a diamond, and losing the intimate contact with her mind caused the same physical pain as if she had pulled away mid-coitus.

"Damn it!" I growled against her skin as I kissed my way down her jaw. It seemed that the only thing more frustrating than _not_ hearing Bella's thoughts was to have them briefly only to lose them.

"We have plenty of time to work on it," she hummed playfully.

"Forever and forever and forever," I mumbled into her neck.

"That sounds exactly right to me."

I scooped her up into my arms and carried her to our bed, laying her down in the middle of the mattress. It was time. I had missed my love terribly over the last two days, and my body was screaming at me to take her.

I stretched out along her length, slipping my leg between hers as my hands roamed eagerly up and down her curves. My lips never broke contact with her skin, even when I had to speak. "Are you particularly fond of these clothes?" I spoke through wet kisses and licks against her collarbone.

"I despise them," she breathed, already pulling my shirt out of my jeans and up over my head.

"Oh, goody," I said, smiling through my kisses. I grabbed hold of the blouse she wore with both hands, tearing the fabric loudly. Her delicate bra was next; I tore it in half, baring her luscious breasts to my hungry gaze. "Perfect," I whispered, before sliding my mouth down to capture a rosy peak between my lips.

I swirled my tongue around the turgid flesh, sucking harder by the second, refusing to release my grip until I felt Bella writhing underneath me. Only then did I start over again on its twin, paying it even closer attention than the last one. When Bella began grinding her hips up to meet mine, I knew that it was time to move lower.

I ripped her jeans away in one swift motion, her panties following closely behind. I sat back on my knees then, staring down at her as she spread her legs wider for my viewing pleasure. And what a pleasure it was. "You are so fucking gorgeous," I growled, grabbing her inner thighs with both hands and yanking them even further apart, stretching her as wide as she could go.

I watched intently as her glistening folds opened for me, looking like the petals of a hothouse flower. I felt the venom beginning to pool in my mouth as I realized that I'd never been so ravenous for her in my entire life. Swallowing thickly until the sting of venom had cleared my throat, I licked my lips suggestively before diving in.

I lapped at her viciously, sucking in her juices before flicking my tongue repeatedly over her tightened bundle of nerves. She mewled and whimpered as I devoured her, shoving her hands into my hair and gripping it tightly before bucking her hips into my face.

_Fuck! How can something that tastes so sinful make me feel so heavenly? _

I purred deeply in my chest, sending vibrations through her entire body, starting at her clit. She began thrashing and shaking under me, shoving her wet sex harder against my tongue while at the same time yanking my head closer by my hair. Pushing, pulling, thrusting, grinding... my Bella was close and feeling anything but gentle about it. _Good_. Gentle wasn't on the menu right now. There would be time for gentle later.

Knowing that it would send her over the edge, I moved my hand up from holding her thigh open, not stopping until I had reached her dripping entrance. Remembering something in the back of my mind that my brothers had told me about months ago, I slipped my first two fingers just inside of her while simultaneously probing at her rear opening with my little finger. Directing my attention back to her clit, I licked and sucked at her furiously while sliding my digits all the way inside her in one quick movement.

… _HOLY FUCK! … _

I didn't notice the source of Bella's voice at first. I was too caught up in my actions for a moment to realize that she had only been moaning and whimpering. She hadn't spoken out loud.

I looked up the length of her body, enjoying the sights along the way, until my gaze landed on Bella's face. Her eyes were squeezed tight in concentration, and there was a look of blissful agony on her face. I heard her again then, and I realized that if I paid close enough attention, she was coming through in small bursts of thought.

… _so good! … don't stop … wonder if this is working … GOD! … can't concentrate … tongue like a fucking hurricane … _

I growled violently, shoving my fingers in faster as I flattened my tongue against her and licked in broad strokes, desperate to make her explode before I beat her to the finish line. She was driving me insane with her thoughts, and knowing that she wasn't even sure if I could hear her made it that much hotter to me.

… _so close … so close … so fucking close! …_

I curled my two fingertips up and applied pressure, knowing I had hit the spot when she threw her head back and cried out. Her inner muscles clamped down on my hand, trapping it in place as she convulsed around me.

… _YES! … Edward! … so fucking good! … I want you … need you … need your thick cock inside me right fucking NOW! … _

Her moans were erotic, as always, but her thoughts had set me on fire. Snarling loudly, I raised back up to my knees and ripped my jeans open at the fly, impatient to wait for the zipper. Grasping my now painful erection as it sprang free, I brought it to her drenched pussy, rubbing it up against her slick entrance.

"You want my thick cock, Bella?" I gritted through my teeth, staring deep into her eyes as I continued swirling the broad tip around her swollen folds. I could see the exact moment when she understood that I had heard her. And that I loved it.

… _yes …_

"This cock right here?" I teased, barely pushing myself inside her. I had no idea how I was still holding it together; all I wanted to do was shove myself inside her and fill her with my flesh.

… _YES! … _

"I don't know, Bella. I'm not sure if I heard you right." She started to open her mouth and speak, but I put my finger to her lips. "No. The only thing I want coming out of here is screams. Now... tell me." Her face scrunched up in determination for a moment, giving way to a look of challenge.

… _Fuck … Me … NOW! … _

"With pleasure," I moaned, pushing forward until I was seated deep inside her body. Wrapping her legs around my waist, I pulled almost all the way out before thrusting back in to the hilt.

Bella gasped at the penetration, and suddenly her mind opened up to me again. She was focusing so intently on the contact between us that I could practically feel everything that she did. Every movement our bodies made together was amplified in my mind two-fold.

It was almost too much for me to bear. I had never experienced anything so profound in my entire existence. As we moved together that night for what felt like hours, the emotions and thoughts she shared with me ranged from the lustful to the celestial. She was my vampire sex demon. She was my heavenly goddess. She was both in one, and I never wanted to stop.

… _perfect … so beautiful …_

"Yes... it is," I gasped, pulling her with me as I rolled over on my back, planting her on my lap.

… _no … you … you are perfect … you are beautiful …_

She looked down at me with love and adoration in her eyes.

"Bella," I whispered, reaching up to stroke her cheek. "I am nothing without you. Less than nothing."

She leaned forward to kiss me again, sucking my bottom lip between her teeth and nipping lightly. When I growled in response, her mood shifted again. Rising herself up and dropping back down on my shaft roughly, she began fucking me again in earnest. I laid back and enjoyed the view, sliding my hands up to cup her firm breasts as they bounced up and down with her movements.

I could feel her delicious wet heat beginning to clamp down on me, gripping me tightly. I sat up straight, gripping her around her shoulders and holding her to me tightly. I felt her own nails digging into my back, and it was painfully delicious. Her nectar was flowing freely, coating me as I plunged even deeper inside her. Her snarls and moans were growing louder, and I buried my face in her neck to lick at her throat.

… _yes! … please! … _

Her memories flashed again on all the times I had bitten her in the past. I kept seeing my teeth, sinking deep into her skin. Every single time was played back for me, combined with the growing arousal and need that the biting made her feel. I could see and feel multiple puncture wounds, followed immediately by the sense of pure ecstasy. _Fuck!_

… _now … please, Edward! … bite … bite … BITE! … _

How frequently I had heard those words screamed in my head in the past. But never had I once imagined that the voice behind it would be Bella's instead of my own.

I could feel myself teetering on the brink of insanity, wondering how I would ever find my way back again. My entire body seized up as I opened my mouth on her, and just as when I had entered her earlier, I could feel both sides of it when I broke the porcelain membrane of her flesh.

… _yes! … yes yes yes yes YES!! … _

We both erupted in a violent wave of growls and snarls. Thick streams of my fluid pumped into her, and Bella was milking me dry, her body squeezing me so tightly that it was almost painful. The sensory overload I was receiving made bright white lights explode in front of my eyes until I was falling... falling... falling.

The next thing I knew, Bella was hovering over me with a concerned look on her face.

"What happened?" I croaked.

"I was just going to ask you that. It looked like you... well... passed out. Only for a few seconds, but still, it was scary."

I couldn't hold back the chuckle that surfaced at her words.

"Edward! What's so funny? It was scary!"

"I know love, believe me, I know. I'm sorry to laugh." I pulled her head down to my lips for a tender kiss. "It's just that I remember how many times I watched you do the very same thing to me when you were human. I used to call them your climactic comas. How I envied you that brief moment of escape. It was like you transcended to a higher plane of existence or something."

"And did you do that now?" she asked quietly, kissing my face in many places.

"No. I think I just blacked out," I smiled. "Being with you, Bella... that is the highest plane of existence there could ever be for me."

She laid down beside me, resting her head against my chest, running her fingernails lightly across my skin.

… _I love you …_

Even now, after everything she had just shared with me, hearing her say those words to me like that shook me to my core. I stroked my fingers through her hair and kissed her forehead, giving myself time to collect my thoughts.

"And I, you, my love," I whispered against her skin.

… _forever …_

"Yes. Forever sounds just long enough."

***

**

~*~*~The End~*~*~

* * *

End Notes:

I can't believe I've actually reached this ending. This has taken an entire year of my life, and I can't believe that I'm actually going to be able to click that 'complete' button. I want to take this chance to thank every single person who has ever read, reviewed, and rec'd this story. And please, if you have made it through this entire thing and not left any reviews at all, I beg you to leave just one final review here and let me know what you thought of it all.

Eternal thanks to psymom. I hope this story ended up being worth the love she gave it a year ago when I was a lonely little first time fic writer.

Just so you all know, NO, there are no plans for this to have a sequel. My goal was only to go through the book and give it an EPOV spin. I hope it was worth your time. I can't promise that there won't be an outtake sometime in the future, that all depends on if anyone bids on me for the next fandom gives back auction. I usually take bids on a reader's choice, so if more B&L is what you want, keep an eye out in June for that auction.

Also, if anyone is interested in following me as a writer, I do have plans to start posting another story soon. Be sure to add me to your author alerts or favorite author, whatever works, so that you will be notified when it posts. It's going to be my first try at an AU/AH story, and it will be much different. (but still tons of lemons!)

Don't forget to follow me on twitter for new story information: awesomesauce416

Thank you so much for joining me on my dark, twisted little journey inside Edward's head. I hope that you had half as much fun as I did!

-Amanda


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